Submerging is a companion piece to Debussy’s La Cathédrale Engloutie.

It takes inspiration from the ‘Legend of Ys’, in which the mythical city of Ys is drowned by the devil disguised as a red knight who has been sent by God to rid the city of sin. The devil convinces Dahut, the daughter of King Gradlon, to steal the key to the gate at high tide – the devil opens the gate and the city is flooded. Gradlon escapes on a horse with his daughter but a messenger of God appears and tells him to cast her into the sea. Dahut is thrown into the waters and the city of Ys is destroyed.