Love in Times of War unique album, which contains some stunning examples of the Composite Music genre, was born of an insight of one of its creators, Beck Norman, creative and life partner of James Keith Norman. Upon hearing this collection of James's 14 moving instrumentals, Beck was instantly flooded with a yet-unwritten story that connected the musical pieces together with spoken word.

She began with "Spring is Innocence," which introduces the album and one of its main characters. This then leads into the first instrumental,  "A Young Woman Daydreams", which builds and expands upon that first spoken-word track. This pattern - a spoken-word cut followed by an embellishing instrumental - repeats through the whole album.

The overall story heard here is of three generations, each tied to the other through love, loss and war. It is a touching story, made all the more emotional by the wide range of musical styles. "Commencement", for example, is a rock song that enhances that stage of the story in which two young, soon-to-be lovers are graduating from high school. "Today a Wedding" is the perfect soundtrack to a momentous, love-filled event. "A Mother's Prayer" uses sound effects to bring home the fear a parent faces when war threatens their children. "Walking Among Souls" captures the nightmare of a battle just ended. "Remembering When", the album's last cut, is a stirring finale that makes the listener want to listen to the whole album again, immediately.

It should be pointed out that the cut "We Will Welcome You Home" features a powerful performance by the legendary Stephen Fry, whose inimitable voice and reading style are perfect for the eloquent poem he recites.

This was also the first album  of James and Beck's that was mixed and mastered by Grammy Award winner Matt Lawrence.

Cover art: Alison Trenton.

About the Cover:

This is based on an original painting by Alison Trenton. Upon seeing the painting, Beck and James knew right away that this was the perfect visual for their 28-cut album, Love in Times of War. The moody greens and browns capture the melancholy gravitas of the story, while the figure seated with her back to us is the embodiment of “the woman with hair the colour of dark earth.” This stunning painting now hangs in Beck and James's dining room, having been gifted to them by the talented artist, who is also their niece.