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Part of Enlighten 2026: Where Thinking Comes AliveFrom 2–4 October, Lichfield Cathedral welcomes thinkers, writers, journalists and broadcasters for a weekend of ideas, questions and meaningful conversation.
Enlighten brings different perspectives together to explore the issues shaping our world — with space to listen, question and disagree well.
The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz
Anne Sebba interviewed by Nick Higham
Renowned historian and biographer introduces her extraordinary account of The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, in which charts the raw power of music to defy and challenge human evil, the moral perversity of captives having to entertain, and the power of female solidarity in the face of dire evil and suffering.
In 1943, Auschwitz officials formed a unique, all-female orchestra among prisoners. Tasked with playing marches for forced labourers and private concerts for Nazi officers, these women lived amid horrific brutality.
While membership ultimately saved their lives, it entangled them in profound moral compromise, forcing them to provide solace to the perpetrators of genocide, and raising questions about the moral power of music.
In The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, historian Anne Sebba draws on meticulous research and first-hand accounts—from conductor Alma Rosé to cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch—to explore the deep complexities of survival, propaganda, and music within a death camp.
Explore the full Enlighten programme at enlighten-lichfield.org
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The Close, WS137 Lichfield, United Kingdom, 16 The Close, Lichfield, WS13 7LD, United Kingdom
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