Music in times of war

Music in times of war isn't just background noise—it's a raw, defiant act of survival. Francis Humphries, director of the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, reveals how this year’s theme confronts the ongoing war in Ukraine with powerful, historically charged compositions. From Prokofiev’s defiant final movement written amid Stalin’s terror, to the haunting 'End of Time' composed by a prisoner of war in a minus-25-degree camp, music becomes a lifeline in the darkest hours. The story of Messin’s premiere—performed on stretchers in front of frozen prisoners and German guards—captures music’s power to unite even in suffering. Shostakovich’s 1940 quintet, layered with funeral marches and silent screams, prefigured the horrors to come under Stalin. And George Crumb’s 'Black Angels,' written during the Vietnam War protests, turns electric strings into the screech of insects and war’s psychological trauma. These aren’t just concert pieces—they’re testimonies. The festival uses chamber music not to escape war, but to bear witness. The episode challenges the myth that classical music is detached from conflict. Instead, it shows how composers and performers have used music to resist, remember, and humanize. Even in the smallest venues, like Bantry House, music becomes a sanctuary. For Humphries, the festival’s mission is clear: bring artists together, honor the silenced, and remind audiences that beauty can emerge from devastation. The message is urgent—attend, listen, and remember.