Author and composers note
Respectfully Yours(the second movement of the choral song cycle The Same Flame) takes the form of a letter from those who have long been disenfranchised and excluded - they could be one of a number of groups! - and who, though now welcomed into the fold, cannot take acceptance for granted. The memory of rejection is raw and recent. With polite reserve underwritten by passion, they respectfully reaffirm their claim to be of the same flame.
The Same Flameis a five-movement choral song cycle inspired by Pierre de Coubertins ideals of Olympism which gave rise to the modern Olympic and Paralympic values: Respect, Excellence, Friendship, Courage, Equality, Determination and Inspiration. The composer and author took it upon themselves to celebrate these seven values in five movements, so four of them had to double up - Friendship with Equality and Courage with Determination. It was commissioned by Churchill Music! and supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
