“I’m sure I’m not the only conductor who used the lockdowns of 2020 to explore new music, and I think this piece might be one of my favourite discoveries from that period. Melissa Dunphy is an Australian-American composer who I first came across through her O Oriens, the next work on the album. Already aware of her name and her writing, I was excited to see that Voces8 commissioned a new piece from her for their Live from London Festival in 2020, and so eagerly bought copies when it became available. Dunphy sets a specially written text by her regular collaborator, Jacqueline Goldfinger, which creates ‘a period of calm during winter storms where we reflect on what we have lost.’ We learnt this piece over Zoom during the lockdowns of 2020, and then sang it outside at our end of year service when we were finally allowed to sing together again. Having had our choir activities (and lives) so heavily restricted, the words ‘rise up, rise up, tattered and torn’ seemed particularly emotion-laden and this piece has retained a special place for us ever since.”

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