The Great War was the first major conflict to generate an outpouring of creative work from those who either fought on the battlefields, or were somehow deeply affected by it, including writers, painters and musicians. Almost unwittingly, they became commentators for their age, and changed society’s conception of what war meant. Charles Villiers Stanford alone taught numerous composers affected by the war, including Charles Wood, Henry Walford Davies, George Dyson, Gustav Holst and Ivor Gurney, all featured on this recording, and others, including George Butterworth and Cecil Coles, who were among those killed in action, their music silenced at a tragically young age.

Pegasus is one of London’s most accomplished chamber choirs, critically acclaimed and award-winning for its imaginative programmes of music from the Renaissance to the present day. Part of London’s musical life for 20 years, Pegasus is known for its outstanding performances and imaginative programming.