Sometimes words aren't enough

The experience of war can be traumatic, both for those involved in the fighting at first hand and for those left behind, struggling to come to terms with the horror of it all and the agony of personal or public loss. It is not always easy to tell others how we feel in moments of extreme emotion such as these and music can be a powerful means of expression when words are not enough.

This unit looks at the work of musicians who were killed in action during the First World War and that of more recent composers who have chosen to communicate their response to war through music.

Click on the images to find out more about the musicians.