WW2 POW Camp Composition Debuts in Barrow

A concerto created during World War Two in a prisoner of war camp has been publicly performed for the first time. The piece, titled Overture for a Festival, was composed by Alan Bolt, who lived near Barrow until his death in 2019 at the age of 100.

Alan Bolt wrote the music while in a German POW camp, anticipating an Allied victory. His widow, Alison Bolt, noted that the piece was never performed due to the camp's liberation by Russian soldiers shortly after its completion. The Liverpool Philharmonic presented the concerto at Barrow Town Hall on Friday, an event Alison believed her husband would have greatly appreciated.

During his time in the camp, Alan established an orchestra comprised of musicians from various Allied nations, including Poland, the USA, and Canada. Instruments were either already present or acquired through local trades. Although the orchestra primarily played classical pieces, Alan composed the new work in late 1944, but it remained unperformed until now, kept in the couple's attic until Alison decided to bring it to life.