Isabella Morrill

The musical narrative comes from an old folk tale told in Scandinavia. The tale explains that the beautiful, awe-inspiring northern lights are actually carrying fallen solders and Vikings up to heaven. Over versions of this folklore explained that the lights were their final exhales and farewells before entering the afterlife.

To musically tell this tale, the composer, who has deep, familial roots in Finland, utilized modes, six-note scale, and progressions that possess the feel of a Scandinavian folk tune. The first section represents a burial hymn to those that have passed, as family members say their last goodbyes with somber hearts. The piece quickly progresses into a flurrying, colorful dance of the northern lights as they appear to sweep away the fallen into a new life. There is a mixing of themes as the fallen understand that they too must let go of their loved ones still on Earth. Musical motion continues throughout as a signal of the ever-shifting shapes and contours of the northern lights. The composer at one point shifts into a waltz that carries over themes from the hymn as a picture of the fallen reuniting with those they love in heaven. The piece ends with a restatement of the beginning theme as a new day begins to override the voyage of the lights, and those remaining on Earth must continue to live life, carrying the memory of the night of the northern lights.

Voyage of the Northern Lights is an exciting piece that acts as a tribute to the beauty of nature, the composer's heritage, and to the continued dedication of music teachers and students that make pieces like this possible.

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