About the work

The piece starts very softly, with both beauty and dissonance.  The individual is aware that something is wrong but is trying to bravely persist.  A soloist introduces the main theme of the work, a bittersweet melody that is lovely and vulnerable.  As the first segment continues, dissonant elements and a three-note descending theme signals the onset of a mental health crisis.

The second segment is manic and violent.  The individual struggles with their condition as everything seems to be in darkness.  The piece builds to a thunderous moment before dying away into a cloud of confusion.  Their heartbeat is heard racing and then slowing.  The individual is broken.

The original theme sounds out again, unaccompanied, but others join in.  The work rises to a triumphant climax, as a sense of solidarity is achieved.  The work ends with the soloist again, but more confident and with others there for support.