About the Festival-Conference
From 1914 to 1917 World War I was the ‘Great War’ or the ‘War in Europe’ to Americans. But by late 1915 the United States had already taken sides, in effect, by beginning a campaign of ‘preparedness’ for entering the conflict. A gradual but inexorable shift to engagement followed; and in that shift, a crucial part was played by music—probably the cultural commodity that was most pervasively shared between the United States and England. In the years that followed, to the end of the war and after, music was a great force for unity, not only within the separate countries but across the ocean.
Through staged performance, concerts, talks and discussions, audience members and conference guests will experience and discover music written and performed during World War I; and hear about the part that British and American music in particular played in bringing America into the war and sustaining the alliance thereafter.
This conference is the first of three linked events - the other two happen in the US on the following two weekends. Click here to find out more about these partner events.