This piece was written in the mountains of Alberta, Canada when I was in residence for Ensemble Evolution at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. While I was traveling by bus to the campus of Banff at night, I could see the massive outlines of the mountains carving black shapes into the sky. It was an awe-inspiring moment to be witness to the sheer power and presence of nature. It reminded me of a motet by Tomas Luis de Victoria called “O Magnum Mysterium” (O Great Mystery). I thought it would be fitting to create a piece inspired by this motet, using the opening fifths motive as groundwork for the opening material. As the music builds in intensity, I quote directly from Victoria’s motet, as a moment of reflection, awe, and power before concluding the piece with an emotional prayer-like coda.