| This work is based on a well-known myth about the city of Zwolle in the Netherlands. In the waters surrounding Zwolle, lived a dragon that regularly emerged. Time and again he threatened to destroy the city with his fiery breath if he was not given a living sacrifice. The archangel, Michael, who manifested himself as a young knight, saved the city. In a fight without an equal, he beheaded the monster with his sword. Later, Saint Michael fighting the dragon, which was a symbol of evil and injustice, acquired a permanent place on the city arms. Also, there used to be a huge statue of the patron saint at the bottom of the high tower of St. Michael’s Church, above the main entrance. For this composition, the hymn tune Laudate Dominum has been chosen as a central musical theme for the archangel. The dragon is reflected in a series of chords that evoke a somewhat ominous association.
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