Mark-Anthony Turnage

The Torn Fields

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.