Two Distinct Tales
A Flourishing Flower Flight Fantasy
The Lost Fable of Fall
scored for large symphonic orchestra, SATB choir and solo soprano
duration 8 minutes
duration 5 minutes
Two Distinct Tales is a work in two contrasting parts: reflections on the dreamlike logic of childhood and, at the same time, odes to the enchanting power of adventure—from the first novels to films and games. Each tale unfolds like a memory, rooted in an unconditional belief: the belief that stories can lift us, carry us, and transform us.
The first tale, A Flourishing Flowerflight Fantasy, is a celebration of unguarded joy. It is an homage to our childlike sense of wonder—the naive belief that nothing is impossible. The second tale, The Lost Fable of Fall, is its mirror: where the first part centers on ascent, this one contemplates the inevitability of falling. It is the realization that within the pain of every loss lies a renewed trust. There may be disappointment, but no disenchantment; rather, a strengthened belief that immersing ourselves in stories gives life meaning and depth.
Together, these tales form a diptych: light and shadow, rising and falling, joy and elegy. Yet they are not sharply drawn opposites, but complementary forces—two rivers flowing from the same source. Above all, they honor childhood and serve as a reminder not to suppress the inner child within our adult selves: in play and lightness, there is often more depth than in sophisticated gravity.
'A Flourishing Flower Flight Fantasy' was commissioned by choir deChorale and orchestra La Passione and was first performed in the Elisabeth Hall, Antwerp on November 20, 2023.
'The Lost Fable of Fall' was commissioned by deChorale and orchestra La Passione and was first performed in the Elisabeth Hall, Antwerp on November 23, 2025.
Cutting Edge: Like a lavish rollercoaster, the score whirls past and through the various sections, always cheerful and witty, yet imbued with a hint of sadness. However, humor and orchestral sophistication predominate, in a headstrong yet accessible idiom that makes maximum use of the qualities of both the orchestra and the height of soprano Jolien De Ghendt. It is a feast for the ear and for the mind, and therefore a perfect ode to John Williams - king of the virtuoso and magnificent soundtracks.