1. Composition
    Instrumentation 

2. Reception

3. References

Composition

War Music has duration of roughly 25 minutes and is composed in two movements. The first movement reflects the violence of the war, while the second is cast as memorial for those lost. Thus, the second movement features less of the orchestral instruments and the addition of the choir. Ledger described the composition process in the score program notes, writing:{{quote|I was humbled on many occasions on writing a piece that commemorates those who were confronted by such a terrifying experience – I could only begin to imagine what it would have been like in reality. This produced the profound difficulty of trying to express the suffering and tragedy of war in purely musical terms. And added to this are the complexities of the myths and legends that surround the Gallipoli story. I therefore concentrated on the more broader aspects of war, hence the title.^[1]}}

The text was written by the Australian musician Paul Kelly during an otherwise inactive year and takes the perspective of the soldiers at Gallipoli.^[1][4]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for SATB choir and a large orchestra comprising three flutes (2nd doubling piccolo; 3rd doubling piccolo and alto flute), three oboes (3rd doubling cor anglais), two clarinets (2nd doubling bass clarinet), contrabass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, four percussionists, celesta, and strings.^[1]

Reception

At a later performance by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand Youth Choir, William Dart of The New Zealand Herald wrote, "James Ledger's War Music took 20 minutes for its first movement to travel from brooding mysteries to full symphonic fury, with the musicians easily meeting the Australian's directives of 'bellicose and vehement.'" He continued, "Less belligerent, shorter and more affecting was the following movement in which the New Zealand Youth Choir added a skilfully layered setting of Paul Kelly's words, powerfully linking past and present, war and peace."^[5]

References

• An Ideal Husband
• An Ideal Husband (1999 film)
• Ani defranco
• Ani DeFranco
• Ani deFranco
• Ani diFranco
• Ani Difranco
• Ani Di Franco
• Ani DiFranco
• Ani DiFranco (album)
• Aniela Tulodziecka
• Aniela Tułodziecka
• Aniello Dellacroce
• Aniello Falcone
• Aniene
• Aniene River
• Anier Garcia
• Anier García
• A. niger
• A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
• A Night at the Hip Hopera
• A Night At The Hip-Hopera
• A Night At The Opera
• A Night At the Opera
• A Night at the Opera