W. Francis McBeth

The 7th Seal

The work's title is taken from the last seal in the book of Revelations. The seventh seal, being a culmination of the first six, denotes the emotional program of this work. The first movement is thematically based on the Dies Irae (day of wrath). Movement two is a treatment of a three-note interval sequence that has been associated with the pathos through the centuries, including in Beethoven's 'Pathetique' Sonata, 'Dido's Lament' by Purcell, and the from the first movement of Tchaikovsky's 'Pathetique'. The last movement is built around the first measure of the Moravian hymn, 'Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs' by John Antes.

It was commissioned by Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary celebration of the founding of Tau Beta Sigma. With this commission, these two national fraternal societies for young men and women in collegiate bands continue their tradition of encouraging the contemporary composer to write for the modern concert band.