In July [20th] 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, poet Robert Graves was struck by a shell and was so badly wounded that the next day he was reported to have died. He did in fact survive and went on to write about the traumatic experience of war in his autobiography Goodbye to All That. While his physical injuries healed, the psychological impact lingered. He recounted returning to England and trembling at strong smells, akin to gas, and loud…

BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales perform a concert to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff. Conducted by Adrian Partington, the concert will feature music by George Butterworth, Francis Purcell Warren, Gordon Jacob and Albert Roussel who all served or died in the Battle of the Somme. The concert also features music written in memory of the fallen, by Herbert Howells and Delius. George Butterworth and Francis Purcell Warren joined the infantry and fought at the Battle of…

This year marks the centenary of The Battle of the Somme, recognised as one of the bloodiest battles in human conflict with over 1 million casualties over a 4 month period. At the beginning of the War the British Army was a relatively small force and was increased rapidly by volunteers with often whole streets and villages seeing every available man enlist. 100 years on people today are the last that will have spoken directly to those that fought on…

Welsh National Opera will commemorate WW1 and the centenary of the Battle of the Somme with a world premiere of a new opera commissioned to mark the company’s 70th birthday.  In Parenthesis is acclaimed British composer Iain Bell’s adaptation of the epic poem by poet, writer and artist David Jones. The work is a remembrance of David Jones’ personal experience as a soldier at the Battle of Mametz Wood. Alongside the staging of the opera, WNO are embarking upon an…