Ralph Vaughan Williams composed composed The Lark Ascending in 1914, in the early days of World War I when a pastoral scene of a singing bird on the wing seemed far removed from reality.
The war so occupied public attention that the premiere of The Lark Ascending was delayed seven years, until the violinist Marie Hall, for whom the piece had been written, gave the first performance of the orchestral version.
Here is a recording by Pinchas Zukerman which I hope you will enjoy:
