Robert Beaser: In Flanders Fields: Chœur Mixte et Accomp.

John McCrae's iconic 1915 poem memorializing his fallen compatriots in Flanders Fields transcends time and place. It elevates sacrifice, honor and valor to an almost metaphysical plane. Here the composer has responded to this universal power with rapt, hymn-like verses, which accumulate in depth, complexity and urgency as they reach their emotional peak, then dissolve into prayerful benediction.