| dc.description.abstract | Songs from Revelation is an orchestral choral song cycle that depicts various scenes found in the book of Revelation from the Christian Bible. Each song explores a different facet of humanity’s response during the events of the Second Coming of Christ, the Last Judgement, and the rebirth of all things. This libretto tells the beautiful story of God redeeming mankind to Himself through sacrifice and love. This story is narrated by an Angel of the Lord, and the voice of John the Apostle—Jesus’s closest friend during His time on earth, and the writer to whom Revelation is attributed. These narrations are voiced by a soprano soloist and an alto soloist, respectively. The choir provides the voices of sinners, saints, and angelic beings, representing the pure and expressive sound of all creation during this monumental exchange.
Revelation is through-composed and text-driven, employing extensive harmonic symbolism consistent with the symbolism found in the book of Revelation itself. The overall tonal structure explores mediant relationships and cycles, as created by the augmented triad C-E-G-sharp. The orchestration of Revelation is economical, but dramatic enough to serve such a powerful text. The use of harp and handbells creates an other-worldly texture throughout the piece, accompanying ethereal choral writing. Revelation was written to bring an often confusing text into the light, and to tell the story of God’s plan for the earth in a simple, accessible, yet moving way. | en_US |
