This piece is a Kyrie. It is a song asking God for mercy. Even though there is a sense where the root note of the piece is the melody doesn’t reach it right till the end. The harmonies surrounding it move without touching the root note till near the last cycle of the Kyrie. Then the harmony settles on that chord.
This is an illustration of our times of realisation. We go along in a particular mode, hearing dimly and when we reach the root the realisation is complete. The desert is an important place of the evolution of our realisation.
But why the Kyrie? The desert for all that it takes away and gives to you, is also a source of pride. The urge to make the desert ‘cool’ is strong. Being made a martyr is a strong drug. We all love to indulge in it. Such is one of the facets of pride.
Pride is a power struggle with God and others. I arrogantly assume I see better than my blind immature siblings. I long to take charge. I want thousands of people to listen to my music and be transformed and me be proclaimed a genius. Piously I wait for God to fulfil these ‘reasonable’ desires. Yet these fantastical delusions are steps to death.
So God moves us note by note to take us to the root so that we might realise; in this case my pride. Have mercy, Lord.