Skip to content
Pursuits
Screentime

Opera Film 'Soldier Songs' About War Trauma Heads to Grammys

This image released by Opera Philadelphia shows baritone Johnathan McCullough performing in "Soldier Songs," an hour-long opera about the horrors of war and the PTSD faced by many returning veterans. Since premiering in 2006, “Soldier Songs” has been performed in a variety of stagings with considerable success. But when the pandemic hit and live performance became impossible, Opera Philadelphia decided to turn it into a film for its streaming channel. (Opera Philadelphia via AP)
This image released by Opera Philadelphia shows baritone Johnathan McCullough performing in "Soldier Songs," an hour-long opera about the horrors of war and the PTSD faced by many returning veterans. Since premiering in 2006, “Soldier Songs” has been performed in a variety of stagings with considerable success. But when the pandemic hit and live performance became impossible, Opera Philadelphia decided to turn it into a film for its streaming channel. (Opera Philadelphia via AP)
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (MIKE SILVERMAN)

New York (AP) -- A display case in his old high school gave David T. Little the inspiration for his first opera — a work that 18 years later has followed an unusual path to a nomination at this year’s Grammy awards.

“Soldier Songs,” an hour-long piece for baritone and orchestral septet, depicts with unrelenting intensity the horrors of war and the PTSD faced by many returning veterans.