Fire Incantation conjures humanity’s destructive urge, the primal impulse to burn down what exists. Fire holds dual meanings: a force that clears and renews, or one that consumes voraciously, leaving only devastation. 

In this song, the mezzo-soprano takes on the voice of a sorceress, summoning a blaze that engulfs earth and the heavens. The music depicts the act of destruction as a complex web of sensations - from terror, to invigoration, to catharsis.
Fire Incantantion is the first in a series of art songs entitled, Endarkened Songs, inspired by the idea of “endarkenment.” Lydia introduced me to the concept as a deliberate counterpoint to “enlightenment.” When we “endarken,” we allow ourselves to delve into primal feelings, desires, and behaviors that may have been suppressed to adhere to some social or moral norm. Endarkening allows us to temporarily experience what we have pushed away within a structure that supports curiosity and ultimately, benevolence.