A new wind band work from the pen of National Finals test piece composer Dr Peter Meechan, and commissioned by the East Lancashire Concert Band, will be given its world premiere later this year.

‘Letters from Home: Song of War and Love’, which also gained support from Arts Council England, will receive its first performance in September in Accrington, home of the First World War ‘Accrington Pals’ Brigade who inspired the composition.

Pals

The work commemorates the role played by the ‘Accrington Pals’ (one many famous ‘Pals’ Brigades who signed up on mass to fight together from 1914 on) with each of its three movements prefaced by the reading of a letter or poem sent home from the Western Front, or new writings that reflect on conflict.

Emotions

Ian McGuinness of the Concert Band, told 4BR: "Each of the movements broadly outlines emotions that would form part of any soldier’s life during war — and as such, performances of this work can easily be adapted to reflect other conflicts, both modern and historical.

We hope to use locally sourced material for the readings."

Each of the movements broadly outlines emotions that would form part of any soldier’s life during warIan McGuinness

Reflections

The first movement, ‘The Bittersweet Love Song’ is inspired by a soldier saying goodbye to his loved ones before leaving for battle, whilst the second section, ‘The Trench’ reflects on the incredible bravery, fear and trepidation felt in the call to arms.

The final movement, ‘In Memory’, represents the depressing cyclical nature of warfare, suggesting that lessons of the most horridly expensive kind since 1914 are never fully comprehended or learnt from.