10 pieces of classical music to commemorate VE Day 80

7 May 2025, 17:49 | Updated: 7 May 2025, 22:21

By Classic FM

@ClassicFM

From celebratory fanfares to rousing hymns, here’s the perfect classical playlist for marking VE Day 80.

This Thursday, 8 May, marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe prevailing at the end of the Second World War. Here are some of the most powerful pieces of classical music to evoke nostalgia and memory, and mark a pivotal moment in world history.

1. Elgar – Nimrod

   A favourite at British cultural events, from King Charles’ coronation to the 2012 Olympics, Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ is imbued with feelings of national pride and kinship. It was, like all his 14 Enigma Variations, dedicated to a figure close to the composer – his friend and publisher, August Jaeger. Wait for those rousing rolls of the timpani...

   

   Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra at Classic FM Live

2. Debbie Wiseman – A Day May Come

   Classic FM’s composer in residence Debbie Wiseman composed a new anthem to mark the national celebrations around the 80th anniversaries this year of VE Day. The choral work, performed by leading chamber group Voces8 with words by the contemporary Welsh poet Grahame Davies, speaks of sacrifice, remembrance and hope, and the power of living life through the example of others.

   

   A Day May Come (Anthem for VE Day 80)

3. Beethoven – Symphony No. 5

   Beethoven’s majestic Fifth Symphony became a powerful symbol for the Allied forces during the Second World War. Its famous four-note intro and short-short-short-long rhythmic pattern corresponded in Morse code to the letter ‘V’ for Victory – a recognised symbol of the war effort made famous by Sir Winston Churchill.

   

   Ludwig Van Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C Minor (Full)

4. Coates – ‘The Dam Busters’ Main Theme

   Also known as ‘The Dam Busters March’, this catchy tune became instantly popular with audiences after featuring as the main theme to the 1955 British war film, The Dam Busters. Composed by Eric Coates, the music has become associated with military flypasts in the UK, during which it is often played, making it the perfect choice of song for VE Day 80.

   

   'Dam Busters' March - Eric Coates

5. Walton – Spitfire Prelude and Fugue

   Written in 1942 by English composer William Walton, this epic orchestral work was arranged from music he had written for British black-and-white biographical film, The First of the Few, which tells the fascinating story of designer of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft R. J. Mitchell. Walton’s prelude is played during the opening credits for the movie, while the fugue depicts the making of the Spitfire.

   

   William Walton's Spitfire Prelude and Fugue

6. John Williams – ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ (Saving Private Ryan)

   This majestic piece of music was penned by John Williams as part of the score for Steven Spielberg’s 1998 war movie, Saving Private Ryan, and was first performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The soundtrack later won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture, and ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ is widely played on Veterans Day and Memorial Day in the US.

   

   Cinema in Concert - 08 - John Williams - Hymn to the Fallen

7. Copland – ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’

   Aaron Copland’s dramatic fanfare was written in response to the US entry into the Second World War and partly inspired by a speech made in 1942 by then American Vice President, Henry A. Wallace, in which he proclaimed the dawning of the “Century of the Common Man”. First performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and led by conductor Eugene Goossens, the stirring piece was intended as a musical contribution to the war effort.

   

   Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man - National Symphony Orchestra

8. John Williams – ‘Schindler’s List’ Theme

   Williams makes a second appearance in our VE Day 80 playlist with the Main Theme for 1993 historical drama film, Schindler’s List. Its defining string solo is played by Israeli-American violinist, Itzhak Perlman, in the film and has become a favourite on concert programmes around the world.

   

   Schindler's list - John Williams - NL orchestra

9. Vaughan Williams – Symphony No.5

   On the evening of 24 June 1943, Vaughan Williams stood on the podium at the Royal Albert Hall in front of the London Philharmonic Orchestra to conduct the premiere performance of his Symphony No.5. As the world was at war, Vaughan Williams’ gently uplifting symphony was a perfect tonal counterpoint.

   

   Vaughan Williams: 5. Sinfonie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Sir Andrew Davis

10. Benjamin Britten – War Requiem

    Britten was a pacifist, who used music to express the horrors of war. His War Requiem, first performed on 30 May 1962, is among the most famous of his works. It was commissioned to mark the consecration of Coventry Cathedral, which was rebuilt following a bombing raid in World War II.

    

    Benjamin Britten's War Requiem | Full Concert in HD