In the Shadow of War

The surprising connection between the three works on this program is that of wartime conflict and how it impacted each composer. Australian Matthew Hindson, composing in 2015, was motivated by the thought of how a young person living 100 years before might face the prospect of going to war. For Shostakovich, this great work was formed from the spectre of a world at war in the mid-20th Century. He found it almost too much to bear and the singular transparency of his empathy with the victims is what makes the work an immensely powerful experience. Most people don’t think of Schubert in terms of conflict, but in fact he was surrounded by the constant threat of war during the Napoleonic era. One may never know the true impact this had on him and whether his penchant for song grew from a desire to avoid any conflict and embrace love and beauty. With our young friend Grace Clifford sadly unable to join us due to injury, we are excited to welcome the wonderful Sophie Rowell with Kathy and Tipi on this journey of exploration.