Template within a Random Template

Configuration
1

Hi Guys,
Need some help on the syntax of a template that sits within another template.
Ive created a message that randomly speaks TTS 4 random sayings and that works great but what I need is a the currrent time spoken within each random line.

        message: >
           {{ ["<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Randon One .Its "{{ now().strftime('%H %M') }}", ..</amazon:effect>",
             "<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Randon Two. The Time Is "{{ now().strftime('%H %M') }}",..</amazon:effect>",
             "<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Random Three. Current time  "{{ now().strftime('%H %M') }}",..</amazon:effect>",
             "<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Random Four,  time is "{{ now().strftime('%H %M') }}",  ..</amazon:effect>"
              ] | random }}

If I run a single line on its own in the developer template window then it works fine but as soon as I add multiple lines it fails miserably. Just need some help formatting the {{ now().strftime(%H %M) }} part within each line.
Thanks
Dave

2 
        message: >
           {% set cur_time = now().strftime('%H %M') %}
           {{ ["<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Randon One. Its " ~ cur_time ~ ", ..</amazon:effect>",
             "<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Randon Two. The Time Is " ~ cur_time ~ ",..</amazon:effect>",
             "<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Random Three. Current time  " ~ cur_time ~ ",..</amazon:effect>",
             "<amazon:effect name='whispered'>Test Random Four,  time is " ~ cur_time ~ ",  ..</amazon:effect>"
              ] | random }}

The main answer is use the ~ string concatenation operator. But it also makes sense to create the time string just once.