AFTER the horrors of the First World War, the 1920s and 1930s were years of great political, economic and cultural change.

Some countries came out of the war changed; others did not come out at all.

Germany was among the most affected. With reparations to make and heavy debts to pay, it should not be a surprise that the period of cultural and social revival known as the Golden Twenties was considered by many borrowed time. The Nazi Party’s rise in popularity and Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor only worsened the situation.

Many prominent cultural figures fled Germany in search of a better and safer life. Among these were great composers like Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Miklós Rózsa, Franz Waxman, Hanns Eisler and Kurt Weill, who found their freedom in Hollywood.

These composers brought with them the spirit of what Germany was in the 1920s and 1930s – a melting pot of cultures, moods, politics and experimentation – and dazzled Hollywood with their work, which burned with the anger and enterprise of the exiled.

Each of these composers lent their expertise to the film industry and remade what the film score could achieve in terms of depth of character and audience engagement. They understood that music tells stories and, when allied to film storytelling, can deepen understanding of character, mood and plot.

Korngold led the way as the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores; Rózsa and Waxman created the Film Noir of the post-Second World War period; Eisler and Weill put left-wing politics and the voice of the working man at the forefront of popular culture in the United States.

Their stories, music and films take the centre stage in The Lure of Hollywood in Film and Song.

READ MORE: What's on at Lammermuir Festival 2022

Television presenter and celebrated silent film pianist Neil Brand joins Iain Burnside, one of the finest piano accompanists in the world, for an afternoon of song and film to explore the work of great concert composers who, by force of circumstances, had a massive influence on popular culture and the future development of cinema.

They are joined on stage by soprano Sophie Daneman, mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons and baritone William Dazeley to perform music ranging from the lushness of Korngold to the bitter, spare Hollywood Songbook of Eisler.

Set against the backdrop of carefully selected film clips from the likes of The Sea Hawk, Robin Hood and even home films, Brand and Burnside combine their diverse musical knowledge, skills and insight into the period in an event that aims to be both entertaining and enlightening.

A musical and visual journey like no others, The Lure of Hollywood in Film and Song is a special event which will take place this Saturday (3pm) at The Brunton in Musselburgh as part of the Lammermuir Festival.