IT RESTS UNTARNISHEd

“Neither age nor submersion has corroded the pristine grandeur of this awful fane- for fane indeed it must be- and today after thousands of years it rests untarnished and inviolate in the endless night and silence of an ocean chasm.” - H.P. Lovecraft

Written for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in 2024, It Rests Untarnished is a musical depiction of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, The Temple. The story describes the discovery of a sunken city and the ancient temple at its heart, as well as the tragic final events in the life of Lieutenant-Commander Karl Heinrich, an obsessive U-boat captain fighting in a losing war, who drowns himself and his crew whilst chasing after his own delusions.

The piece was premiered by BBC NOW and Jac van Steen in March, 2025 in the BBC Hoddinott Hall as a part of Composition: Wales 2025, with the generous support of Nimbus Lyrita Arts, Tŷ Cerdd, Composers of Wales, Vale of Glamorgan Festival, and the Welsh Music Guild.