for baritone and large ensemble

Piano Reduction

Emotions from intense anger to morbid despair are conveyed through this powerful vocal work depicting the viewpoints of poets from the Great War. Mark-Anthony Turnage's 'The Torn Fields' sets the words of Rudyard Kipling, Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg and Charles Sorley; the latter two of whom were killed in the trenches. Despite the dark nature of the work, it concludes with a symbol of humanity and hope, the music from the prologue returns with the poem Everyone Sang to creating a unified transcendence away from the fears and desolation of the torn fields.