Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was first and foremost a poet, but he was unable to pursue this passion academically after being rejected from several universities. Wilfred instead served his country England as a soldier during World War I, leading to an almost fatal accident which left him hospitalized for several months. During his recovery, and under the tutelage of his co-patient and fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred wrote what is considered to be some of the most beloved British poetry concerning the war, depicting both the physical and psychological tortures of the battlefield and the human condition.

“Anthem for Doomed Youth” is one such poem of Wilfred Owen’s personal experiences in battle - its gruesomely bleak tone, combined with its striking use of metaphor and juxtaposition, became the basis of this musical setting for wind ensemble. Each of the poem’s two stanzas receives its own movement played without pause - metaphors and other distinctive elements are transformed into musical motives surrounded by cataclysmic frenzy, subdued liturgies, and an elegiac processional haunted by nightmarish visions before closing in somber reflection.