Fleeting, God

Commissioned by the Genesis Foundation, for The Sixteen and Harry Christophers. Over tranquil, sustained lower voices, intoning the single sound ah, the altos and sopranos add soft, almost whispered interjections. Then a radiantsoprano line beams out above, gradually building over close-knit chords to a joyous climax. The opening calm returns, but the upper voices still, the lower voices punctuating. Finally the female voices are left holding on, fadingaway, till the sopranos edge up to a momentary last D.