This piece was commissioned by the ‘Concert Band Vlamertinge’ and is a plea for peace: the title translates as ‘Peace on Earth’. This is expressed by means of the vocal contribution expected from the performers. In various places of the piece you can recognize the words ‘Et In Terra Pax’ - an appeal for peace - at first jumbled together but later more rhythmically structured developing into synchronized massed voices.The work starts with a pentatonic theme based on the notes D E G A and C (taken from ‘ConCErtbAnD VlAmErtinGE’ and the name of the conductor NiCk VAnDEnDriessChe). A somewhat sad melody is developed during an orchestral climax which leads to the firstexplosion of sound (measure 62 onwards). Suddenly the opening measures are recaptured albeit with a differently colored sound: the words ‘Et In Terra Pax’ bring the first movement to a close. A restless Allegro follows which abruptly stops and is replaced by a calming cho-rale-like passage. A narrator reads aloud the poem ‘Sonnet’ by the young poet Charles Hamilton Sorley who was killed during World War I. This poem fittingly puts into words the cruelty and senselessness of war. After the expanded recapitulation of the allegro the broad almost infinite atmosphere of the beginning returns. Clarinet and English horn play the pentatonic opening theme once more this time broadly while the words ‘Et In Terra... Pax’ are repeated again and again by the rest of the orchestra.The composer has purposely avoided all forms of aggression and bombastic sounds regularly used in works about war. Fear of violence and destruction can be heard and felt during the allegro passages. The charged opening makes way in the end for hope: May peacefulness replace cruelty in everyday life too.

Stephen Albert's Into Eclipse for Tenor and Chamber Orchestra. Full score.'Into Eclipse is based on Ted Hughes' adaptation of Seneca's Oedipus. The five episodes chosen astexts for this musical setting form an abbreviated version in song of this Roman dramatisation of the Oedipus myth.Seneca's play has no external action. As Peter Brook informs us in his introduction to the play '...it takes place nowhere...possibly it was read aloud in the bathhouse to friends.' It therefore seemed possible to take the essential elements of the tale and transform them into a rather complete musical statement that wasnon-theatrical yet dramatic in its own terms. Into Eclipse is thus not a monodrama nor even a solo oratorio but rather a 'Herosong.' It is somewhat in the tradition but not of course in the manner of earlyballadeers and minstrels who often set ancient stories and myths to music and performed these musical narratives for both court and country village.The story is sung from different viewpoints (that of Creon thechorus of citizens and of course Oedipus the king) all encompassed within the bounds of one man's voice and his complement of instruments. There is no concious attempt to 'paint' or emphasise particular words or phrases withinthe text nor was there an effort to musically heighten Seneca's already nightmarish vision with its withering onslaught of bloodthirsty images. To do so seemed to risk weighing down the cycle in a morbid atmosphere one filledwith caricature and the grotesque.' - Stephen AlbertThe full-Orchestra version of Into Eclipse was premiered on September 8 1986 by the Seattle Symphony with Gary Lakes Tenor andGerard Schwarz conductor. It is also available in a version for Tenor and Chamber Ensemble [Flute/Piccolo Clarinet/Piccolo Clarinet Horn Trumpet Percussion (2 players) Harp Piano and Strings]. This version was premiered on