COMPOSER’S NOTE

On the 23rd August 1914 the Battle of Mons took place – the first major conflict between the British and the Germans in World War I.  During this battle more than a hundred British soldiers claim to have witnessed the vision of an angel which guided them to safety.  I wrote The Angel of Mons to depict this event and the drama between the angel, the soldiers and the loved ones at home.  

Out of the Depths – using text adapted from Psalm 130 –  first conveys the prayers of the wives, fiancées and mothers left at home: the angel responds with words of reassurance.  Next, the soldiers themselves sing of their longing for divine assistance.  The angel appears once more as the prayers of the men and women alike combine in a final climax.  The piece subsides into quiet prayer asking the Lord for mercy.

This piece also featured on my No.1-selling album Angel recorded with the Choir of New College Oxford and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.