Commissioned by the BBC Proms in 2018. Premiered by Christopher Stark and the Aurora Orchestra at the BBC Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House in August, 2018. Later broadcast on BBC Radio 3.“When exploring Mahler's settings from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, I was struck by the beauty of those depicting nature, but also by the hidden darkness of the considerable number set in the world of soldiers. I combined lines from seven of these to create a new poem (printed on the next page); allowing me to explore the relationship between the natural world and the duties of a soldier, through music. The title reflects the folk tradition of the poems and also represents the youthful optimism of the soldiers during the dawn patrol.As the piece progresses, the title takes on a dark irony as the soldiers are confronted by the horrors of war; the pastoral scene interrupted by the discovery of fallen comrades. I have explored parallels between the cyclical patterns found in nature and the continuation of conflict despite "The war to end all wars". I hope that the piece has a special resonance with 2018 marking the centenary of the end of the First World War.”