Description
Written for the 2023 Australian Inclusive Composition Award
**JOINT WINNER - DIVISION 3**
Duration 7:50 min
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"In Darkness and Night" borrows from the title of an early 20th-Century hymn "No Longer We’ll Wander In Darkness and Night". The hymn itself is a celebration of the afterlife which many people seek "when the beautiful gates unfold". However, on removing the heavenly subtext and the refrain, the hymn appears to take on a more sombre tone, as if a cry for help from someone trapped in a world of unending darkness.
This piece instead explores the pain and sorrow in this world of uncertainty. Each section builds on the idea of increasingly intrusive thoughts and the sensory overload as our minds attempt to make light of the world around us, with the melodies and textures building until eventually something breaks. - Daniel Dinh
Original hymnal lyrics, with the refrain removed:
No longer we’ll wander in darkness and night,
We’ll walk in that city where God is the light,
My loved ones will wait at the harbour for me,
To welcome me home, where from sin I’ll be free,
No sickness, no sorrow, no pain as before,
With joy we’ll commune with our friends, as of yore,
A rapture unspeakable then shall be mine,
As there I behold Him so pure and Divine,
A halo of glory will shadow us o’er,
With joy we will sing on that faraway shore,
The burden of life will no longer annoy,
With Christ we will love in perpetual joy.
Instrumentation:
Piccolo, Flute 1 2, Oboe 1 2, Cor Anglais, Bassoon 1 2, Eb Clarinet, Bb Clarinet 1 2 3, Bass Clarinet, Alto Sax 1 2, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, F Horn 1 2 3 4, Bb Trumpet 1 2 3, Trombone 1 2, Bass Trombone, Euphonium BC & TC, Tuba, String Bass, Timpani, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Tam-tam, Suspended Cymbal, High-hat, Mark Tree, Glock, Tubular Bells, Marimba, Xylophone, Tambourine, Vibraphone, 4 Tom-toms