In January 2009, when living in Spain, I read an editorial in the Spanish newspaper El Pais. It compared the bombing of Gaza taking place at that time in to the 1937 bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, when a large number of civilians were killed - the subject of Picasso’s most famous painting. My piece reflects a sense of horror at the way civilians have become the main victims of modern warfare. No comment is being passed on the origins of specific conflicts or the motives of those taking part. Premiere - Dulwich Symphony Orchestra, Dec 6th 2025, All Saints West Dulwich