Concerto for Cello and Orchestra 'Chemin des Dames'

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Written for celebrated French cellist Sébastien Hurtaud, Farr’s Cello Concerto is a tribute to the soldiers who fell on the First World War battlefields of France and Belgium. Chemin des Dames translates as “pathway of women”, which Farr uses to acknowledge the impact the war had on women and their families, as well as soldiers. Farr was inspired by his own family’s sacrifices during the First World War – his three great-great-uncles were killed in the war and are buried in France and Belgium. “The Concerto is a dedication to these three young lads,” says Farr. “But my sadness and anger is not just about the boys who died on the battlefield - it's equally about the women. There were women who died in combat, but there were also countless ones, like my great-grandmother, who suffered for the rest of her life with the loss of her three beautiful brothers.”