Fade into Dawn

This piece seeks to musically explore the phrase "It is always darkest before the dawn," or, as it was first recorded, "It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth." According to The Yale Book of Quotations, the earliest known version of the saying appears in Thomas Fuller's A Pisgah Sight of Palestine (1650). The book is a detailed account of the history of Palestine and the surrounding areas, focusing on the biblical events that occurred there. The title refers to Mount Pisgah, which is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Moses was able to see the Promised Land. The piece begins solemnly, in the key of B minor, developing themes and passing the melody among the different sections of the orchestra. The final section modulates to D major, providing the lift that the dawn of a new day brings.