Death on the Hills

Elgar's part-song Death on the Hills opens with a sense of questioning stillness, as the SATB voices explore the mystery of encroaching shadows on the hillsides. The music initially paints a landscape of natural forces, wind and rain, but soon shifts dramatically to reveal a more profound, allegorical meaning. The text describes Death personified, leading a solemn procession of the old and young, even infants, across the hills. The music must reflect the chilling solemnity of this procession, and the contrasting pleas of the villagers for a gentler path, before ultimately confronting the stark reality of the text. This setting of an English text is a powerful example of the secular choral tradition.