Thou knowest my lying down by Antony Pitts is the central panel of a triptych of Easter anthems for twelve voices. The twelve voices are subdivided into two: a higher group sings the complete text with a continuously rising chromatic scale on top of the texture, while a lower group elaborates a simple four-bar chaconne with a repeated ‘Hallelujah’. The conflict of these two ideas is worked out in harmonies that are sometimes transparently consonant, sometimes rich and strange. The soloistic vocal lines give shape to the overall rhythmic motion of the piece, converging from time to time like a giant wave rising out of the sea.

from notes by Jeremy Summerly © 2006