How does one compose in the turmoil? What does one write on the roads to exile? Why dance while so many are suffering? The 14-18 collection aims at drawing a musical picture of the Great War years, thanks to recordings of both the erudite and popular musical pieces that emerged at a time when all art seemed pointless but could bring comfort nonetheless, for a concert or an evening, to civilians and soldiers of Belgium and beyond. Month after month, as the conflict dragged on, performers and composers resumed their work. Whether by explicit texts or by their aesthetic choices integrating more "exotic" sources than German music, part of their production was bound to reflect the impact of the war. Yet by lending an attentive ear to the popular music of the war years performed on this album, we may be permitted to affirm that these repertoires were forerunners of the world to come, and can indeed be seen as an indicator of the true essence of musical creation.