A symphony that tells the story of Gallipoli has been performed for the first time in Istanbul on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Lone Pine.
The "Gallipoli Symphony" was played in its entirety for the first time at the Haiga Irene – a former church, turned museum, in Turkey’s tourist capital.
The masterpiece, written by 11 composers from Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, took ten years to complete.
The symphony is comprised of 12 movements, and includes the work of Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, who died last year.
Each year since 2006, one movement had been performed at Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli Cove.
While each movement tells the story of each bloody campaign in 1915 on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the music has a message of peace and friendship.
The Governors General of New Zealand and Australia, Sir Jerry Mateparae and Sir Peter Cosgrove were amongst the guests, along with three Victoria Cross recipients.
Sir Cosgrove also attended the ceremony at Lone Pine, which commemorated the centenary of the battle which lasted for days and claimed the lives of more than 2000 Australian soldiers and personnel.
Sir Jerry Mateparae is attending commemorative services on Saturday to mark the centenary of the Battle of Chunuk Bair, where more than 870 New Zealanders were killed.
Both battles were part of the so-called August offensive of the Gallipoli campaign, which included some of the most brutal fighting in the region.
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