Conversation so far:
what does st.
francis have to do with olivier messiaen?
In 1971, he was asked to compose a piece for the Paris Opera.
What was the piece he composed?
While reluctant to undertake such a major project, he was persuaded in 1975 to accept the commission and began work on his Saint-Francois d'Assise.

Question: what are the canyons?
Self-contained rewrite: what are the canyons?