Halfway to Zenith
for Eight Voices SSAATTBB
Duration: 8”50’
The Royal Philharmonic Society commissioned Sarah Frances Jenkins as one of its 2024 Composers to write this work for The Marian Consort, with support from the Susan Bradshaw Composers' Fund.
This piece is a reflection on extracts from William Morris’ epic poem ‘The Earthly Paradise’. The extracts chosen follow the arc of a day from the first glimmers of light at dawn through to night. The title ‘Halfway to Zenith’ is a line from Morris’ poem. ‘Zenith’, meaning ‘the high point’ and ‘the way above your head’ describes the highest point in an arc travelled by a celestial body. This work aims to link the arc of a day with the depictions of the natural world found within William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones’ exquisite designs and murals in the Chapel at Castle Howard.
Halfway to Zenith was premiered by The Marian Consort at the Ryedale Festival 2024 in the Chapel at Castle Howard.