Night Thoughts

Night Thoughts takes its inspiration from William Blake’s illustrations for Edward Young’s long poem of the same name, with the words drawn from Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience. As each day winds down, distractions fall away, leaving space for the thoughts that inspired each movement.

I. Infant Joy looks at the pure, uncorrupted bliss of a newborn baby. The singers turning into a carillon of voices.

II. Night focuses on the portrayal of darkness as a mystical time. The singers weave through a fantasia-like sound world, harking back to an older form.

III. Angel follows on in a dream like state. Focusing on setting a calmness associated with innocence.

IV. The Fly is the most boisterous of the four movements and explores the fragility of life in a whimsical way.

© 2026 Daniel Kidane