My second ever piece for choir is a setting of a famous poem by Nobel-prize-winning author and poet Pär Lagerkvist, “Det är vackrast när det skymmer”. The poem deals with themes of acceptance of the impermanence of life.

Deep thanks go to the Pär Lagerkvist Estate for entrusting me to set these lovely words to music.

Below is a translation by John Irons:

Earth’s most lovely at light’s waning.

All the love the sky’s containing

lies collected in a dusky light

o’er the fields,

the homes in sight.

All is pure affection, all is soothing.

Distant shores the Lord himself is smoothing.

All is close yet all far off, unknown,

All is given

to mankind on loan.

All is mine, and will be taken from me,

everything will soon be taken from me.

Trees and clouds, the fields through which I pace.

I shall journey –

lonely, without trace.