The Forgotten Rite
The Forgotten Rite, described as a prelude for orchestra, was composed in AugustNovember 1913 by John Ireland (18791962) and published in 1918. A performance takes about 9 minutes. In the first decade of the twentieth century, Ireland read "The House of Souls" and "The Hill of Dreams" by Arthur Machen, known for his supernatural fantasy and horror stories. This awakened in Ireland an affinity for long-lost customs and rituals, real or imagined. "The Forgotten Rite" is a symphonic poem describing one such.