Ich schenke euch ein neues Herz

Even today the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel speaks directly to us through his consoling, uplifting words and through the beauty of his imagery. In the face of the troubled world, his encouragement also turns out to be a kind of defiance. In composing, I have been inspired by the affirmative aura of this text, which is reflected in the music; the piece ends in an almost hymnic Amen section, the peaceful gestures of which form a thematic arc to the beginning of the motet.