Thomas Hewitt-Jones

Respectfully Yours

Commissioned by the Somerset, England based charity, Churchill Music!, The Same Flame was inspired by Pierre de Coubertin's ideals of Olympism which gave rise to the modern Olympic and Paralympic values: Respect, Excellence, Friendship, Courage, Equality, Determination and Inspiration. These seven values are celebrated in five movements, so four of them had to double up - Friendship with Equality and Courage with Determination. Each movement is scored for slightly different choral forces, so the work is varied. Also individual movements may suit different choirs giving the opportunity for individual performance or collaboration between choirs. All five movements of The Same Flame are published as individual octavos. A complete vocal score is available on request from the publishers.A slower and more poignant movement, Respectfully Yours 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'.