Winter heavens

for SATB (with divisions) anaccompanied This work sets a poem by George Meredith. The poem, Winter heavens, begins as a winter landscape, before coming richer, stranger and more metaphysical. This structure is enhanced beautifully in the music, which begins as purely illustrative, and gradually becomes more ecstatic as 'the radiance enrings'. Winter heavens was premiered in December 2011 by the BBC Singers and Stephen Cleobury.