Lie in the Dark (Death)
Lyrics by Noel Coward
“Lie in the Dark and Listen”
ABOUT THIS PIECE
The story of the Death card came about differently than any of the others. As part of my research, I’d come across the poem, Lie in the Dark and Listen, by Noel Coward and I instantly saw an image of a terrified mother singing a lullaby to her child during the blitz. I composed this piece to that image, and when I pulled the Death card, I knew this was the song it represented. While not representative of a specific woman, my intent is for it to speak to the experience of women throughout wartime.
I’ve used actual radio broadcasts from the Blitz and the voice of war reporter Marie Colvin on her last broadcast before being killed in Syria to emphasize the horrors of war for women and children at home.