Peter Knockaert

Judgement Day

In recent decades, we humans have experienced a number of worrying developments. Consider the direct and ongoing destructive impact of humans on nature: air and water quality is declining, soils are being depleted, plants lack pollinators, coastlines are less protected from storms, forests are being cut down, biodiversity is being lost and the environment is being polluted. This is in stark contrast to the intelligence and boundless creativity of humans: What about all the high-tech advances? What lies ahead in the field of artificial intelligence? Will we let machines make human decisions? What ethical questions does this raise? This composition reflects the desperation and urgency of the human need for action. The music is inspired by the brutal forces of nature that are ravaging our world as a direct result of human failure and selfishness. Are we heading towards a "doomsday"? Or will humanity find a way to reverse negative trends and create a more livable, peaceful and joyful environment for people, animals and nature? To emphasize this message, composer Peter Knockaert chose a very classical idiom that has been used by many composers in classical music: the Dies Irae. Traditionally, the Dies Irae is the third part of a requiem (funeral mass). The text used in 'Judgment Day' (for optional choir) is taken from the original Latin text.