When Words are Not Enough: Memory and the Aural Landscape of 1914-18

Sounds and silences are an integral to the history and memory of the First World War. The aural landscape of the conflict was formed from the time of the war itself, where soldiers’ songs, music hall tunes and classical compositions embroidered wartime memories into the emotional tapestry of the ways in which the conflict was remembered. However, music has been a relatively neglected area in our understanding of the cultural history and legacy of 1914-18. Only now are historians beginning to examine the cultural significance of the music produced both during and after the war. It is already clear that music is a central part of the “thick description” of Britain’s modern memory of the First World War.