These poignant settings by English composer Ronald Corp are a memorial to the First World War and specifically to the Battle of the Somme, which occurred a hundred years ago, in 1916.

The disc comprises two song cycles for baritone with instrumental accompaniment.

The Fields of the Fallen is a collection of settings of German and British poets all of whom died during the Great War. It serves to highlight both the differences and the similarities between the two aspects of this bitter campaign.

Dawn on the Somme was specifically written to commemorate this bloody and lengthy battle of 1916. Written for string accompaniment, it includes Ronald Corp’s powerful lament. The poetry is a stark, first-hand account of the war. It is striking, touching, personal and raw. It cuts to the very heart of what it meant to be a part of this battle: the meaninglessness, the patriotism, but, in the end, the great sense of loss.

“I would suggest that one of Corp's several strengths as a song writer is his ability to reinforce and amplify his chosen texts – to add value” - International Record Review