Through the droning timpani and the C minor chord structure, the beginning of the piece introduces the ominous quality of the future due to climate change – and specifically with sea level rise.

The melodic theme continues and is then overtaken by sound bytes from newscasts from around the world announcing specific devastation due to sea level rise. Following the newscasts section, the sonifications enter representing ‘business as usual’ and thus the worst case scenario. The sonifications gradually become more strident, louder, and chunkier.

Simultaneously with the sonifications, there is a battle between the bass and the drums. The bass plays a short solo and is representative of the land area. Gradually, the drums take over (drums representing the rising sea level) to the point where the melodies of the keyboard and bass are completely overrun by the drums.

A dramatic break occurs when the drums crescendo and then stop. There is an entry of the piano and bass in a sweet melody surrounding voices singing in a poignant plea: “What if we – what if we – what if we – change?”

The music then shifts to a slow gospel-like feel, lightly syncopated representing the possibility of change … a touch of hope is felt. The themes move in major key rounds of Bb, A, B and return to Bb. Accompanying this are the sonifications reflecting the mitigation scenario that represent the result of humans making changes.

Royal Kent enters with a poem that depicts the incredible essence of the natural world and how essential it is for us to work to preserve it.