The War of Benoit

Flemish composer Peter Benoit (1834-1901) composed large-scale works on patriotic themes, sung in Dutch, at a time when Belgium was dominated by French. With the oratorio De Oorlog he delivered a pacifist pamphlet shortly after the Franco-German War of 1870. Thus Benoit called attention to "the madness that constantly creeps up on people to take up arms. For war is the product of the "Spirits of Darkness."'