Guernica, a peaceful town in the Basque region of Spain, was reduced to ruins on the 26th of April 1937 by Nazi bombers. It was a totally unexpected attack that happened while the crowded open-air market was in progress. Over 1600 innocent citizens were killed.This was one of the most senseless and abhorrent war crimes in history. In this new work by Jan Hadermann the music of the Basque region can clearly be heard, with street musicians adding lustre to the open-air market with dance music. Spring is in the air when suddenly from behind the mountaintops, the death squad appears and all hell breaks loose. The work ends with an intense plea to never let anything like this happen again. A moving and contemplative new work for concert band.
