This Fantasy was composed for David Dally and subsequently edited by him. The 13th C. tune is the famous Dies Irae melody used frequently by 19th C. composers, and by many since then. The text, part of the mass for the dead, translates to: “Day of wrath and day of doom; with David and Syble as witnesses, the earth will end in ashes.” I, personally, skip the wrath and doom, and treat the melody more introspectively, with occasional anger inserted. Perhaps my anger can be attributed to my recent loss of long-time friends.
A video of the premiere can be seen on youtube: