Philip Sparke

Sunrise At Angel's Gate

This piece depicts the refined beauty of the Grand Canyon at sunrise and sunset. These are the best times to view the Canyon with the sun low in the sky casting shadows that give depth and form to the vast panorama. Angel's Gate is one of the many named rock formations in the canyon. The composer has tried to depict the sights and sounds of dawn, birdsong in the early morning sky and the gradual revelation of the Canyon itself as sunlight reaches into its rocky depths. Towards the end of the piece, to the sound of a tolling bell, we are however reminded of the dangers that the beauty of the Grand Canyon so cleverly hides.