The Pastoral is the semi-fictional account of British composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and George Butterworth during the First World War. Both saw active service and witnessed the horrors of trench warfare; Vaughan Williams as a member of the medical corp, while Butterworth fought at the Battle of The Somme. Following the events and timeline that we know to be true, Jon Lawrence offers a hypothesis of what might have happened and considers how the unimaginable terrors of war in France might affect the creative mind. Although the book addresses the violent truth of conflict The Pastoral is also a powerful story of friendship, courage and the power of hope. Jon Lawrence lectures in music at City College Norwich in the UK.