Programme Notes

It goes without saying that the Coronavirus Pandemic caused a lot of mental stress - it is the one guaranteed aspect of an existential threat. I have a great empathy and sympathy for those who went through the pandemic while living with mental health issues, as I was one of them. I'd be lying if I said there were times when holding on became extraordinarily hard, and it is in this mindset that I came across this poem by Mary Sidney Wroth: Night, welcome art thou to my minde distrest. It describes the crushing depths that depression can make the mind sink to, and the futility one feels in combating it.

This song was commissioned by the countertenor Garreth Romain, and was premiered on 7th June 2021.