This piece for double choir (which has a companion Ave maris stella devised for separate performance) is grounded in traditional harmonic progression. An astonishing build-up of devotional intensity is achieved withnear-exclusive reference to the notes of the G major diatonic scale. At the pinnacle of the piece an electrifying F natural is introduced which in combination with an A minor triad replicates the climactic chord from thedevelopment section of the opening movement of Beethoven’s 3rd ('Eroica') Symphony. The ‘Eroica chord’ has iconic status in Polish music playing a major role in the final movement of Górecki’s famedSymphony No.3 (the 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs').
