Charge of the Light Brigade, Op. 17 for Baritone Voice and Piano

Charge of the Light Brigade, Op. 17 for Baritone Voice and Piano

• Instrumentation: Voice (Baritone), Piano
• Opus 17 (2020)
• Duration: c. 7m

Although vocal music isn't my primary focus as a composer (I'm an instrumentalist), I do enjoy composing for voice for the simple reason that lyrics sung by the human voice has easily ten times the capacity for conveying emotion than purely instrumental music, which is much more abstract. 

This piece, composed in the art song tradition, is a setting of one of my favorite poems, Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. I've long had an emotional connection to this poem, whose rhythms have always suggested a musical setting to me.

The poem commemorates a real, historic battle that took place during the Crimean War in the 1850s. A light calvary unit was ordered to charge head-on into a fortified position guarded by canons—a senseless order that proved to be suicidal, and most of the unit was destroyed.

As someone who has never served in the military, it is hard to understand the level of discipline and bravery of soldiers who follow commands without question—even terrible ones certain to result in mass death. I can certainly understand self-sacrifice for a cause greater than oneself. But self-sacrifice for idiotic orders from inept officers is another matter...

As Tennyson wrote, “Theirs not to make reply. Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die.”

While the poem celebrates their bravery and sacrifice, I also detect a hint of bitter criticism: “Someone had blunder’d.” So while the character of the men who died is celebrated, it also seems to question the need for their sacrifice, blaming it on ineptitude rather than necessity.

To this day, the poem is quite relevant and poignant, applicable to any conflict where brave soldiers’ lives are thrown away due to terrible strategy and planning by less-than-capable higher-ups. Just recently, we saw this in the botched Afganistan withdraw that resulted in the deaths of 13 American soldiers, and thousands of civilians.

That's why I dedicate this song to the fallen soldiers of every nation that fought to protect a free people. Their sacrifice is a testament to their character, whether it was a necessary sacrifice, or a senseless one.

—J. Aaron Stanley

*Audio recording features Vocalist Cecil Garrison and Pianist Davide Cava.