Walker, Lucy - I saw Eternity

This setting of the familiar opening lines of Henry Vaughan’s 'The World' was Lucy Walker's first commission as Composer-in-Residence with St Martin’s Voices, and was premiered by the ensemble in June 2023 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. The piece represents the beginning of the composer's collaborative journey with St Martin's Voices. Beginning with a gentle, almost tentative melody, the music intensifies, evolving into a shimmering central motif, which explores more intense tonal colours and circling melodies to reflect the text (‘like a great ring of pure and endless light’). This builds to a climactic return of the opening line ‘I saw Eternity’, expansive and glorious in its reiteration, spanning the full range of the voices. As lines of text and melodies weave together, all the musical strands become intertwined. The piece draws to a close, and the full texture gradually is distilled, fading to a single pitch – encompassing ‘eternity’ as both an expansive concept and as a singularity of sound. This setting would suit experienced choirs as an anthem or versatile concert piece.