Fields of Destruction

Euphonium and Piano

Fields of Destruction is a collection of three songs for euphonium and wind ensemble. These aren’t songs in the classical music sense, nor are they representative of “pop” songs or those from a musical. The three songs take more from the folk tradition of story telling and protest songs, transparent in nature, plain in delivery, and also heartfelt.

The subject matter is war, and more specifically, the wars which we (The UK and the US) are involved in.

Whilst the piece was in its gestation period, it occurred to me that there was a really strange irony. Flanders Fields are covered in poppies, now a symbol of remembrance, and of peace, yet the huge plantations of the same flower in Afghanistan fund the terrorist attacks on out nations, as well as fund the organisations that plan such attacks, and fight wars with our troops in Afghanistan.