It is difficult not to be affected by the sheer power of this work each time you hear it. Composer Seán Doherty uses just a fragment of Lola Ridge’s harrowing poem about the horrors inflicted upon so many during the Russian Civil War (1918-22).  The symbolic snow is depicted with gentle descending melodic lines, its dignified and delicate persona interrupted by the sound of gunfire. Doherty includes various physical gestures, some cutting, some poignant, which further add to an already over-powering atmosphere. A once in a generation piece!