Out of The Darkness

“Out of the Darkness” is a brand new secular cantata for mezzo-soprano, two cellos and eight voices, written by Julian Marshall. The inspiration for the piece is based on the poem “Aus dem Dunkel” (Out of the Darkness), by Gertrud Kolmar. Kolmar lived in Berlin for much of her life, but was transported to Auschwitz in 1943, where she perished. Her poetry is strikingly full of life – colour, vibrancy, deep sensation - and “Aus dem Dunkel”, is surely one of the most beautiful. Written in 1937 the poem evokes powerful dream like images of crumbling and decay - serving as an eerie foretelling of the imminent tidal wave of horror about to hit the world.