Rise from the Flames

This composition starts slowly, with a hymn-like quality. The combination of a solo cello and the tenors carry the main theme, while muted strings give warmth over a twenty-bar chord progression. We then hear this theme repeated and transferred to the woodwinds, and later to the upper choir voices. The sombre feel gradually starts to shift to something darker and more chromatic. The low brass and strings add weight as the music then rises up to a discordant flourish.

There is a breath of silence before we hear the theme again, this time with a more heroic orchestration, suggesting that hope has risen from despair. A constant stream of triplets keep the piece motoring along, with the theme once again being passed around between instruments. After some harmonic development, the music changes to a moment of calm, with a clarinet and cello duet, followed by solo violin and sopranos in unison. Finally, we hear a triumphant return of the whole orchestra, including the tam-tam and an anvil for extra impact.

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