As evening settles in a great cathedral, darkness creeps through the choir and rises around tall pillars, while the last red sunset through a rose window makes a tomb glow like fire. Candles gutter dimly, and the whole space feels hushed, shadowy, and solemn. The speaker takes in this almost eerie stillness, aware of death and silence.
Then, without warning, a song breaks from the shadows. It cuts through the dark like a blade of sound, ringing out strong and victorious over sorrow, death, and pain. The mood lifts from quiet awe into something triumphant and transcendent. As the final echoes roll through the arches, the speaker sees golden visions, as if the music has briefly revealed something holy and enduring in the midst of the darkness.