In the cycle of poems, titled Novembrig, Swiss lyricist Elsbeth Maag, explores the innate nature of dying and death as integral components within the perpetual process of existence. Approaching this often-repressed topic with both tenderness and encouragement, the poet employs vivid imagery, to create verses that are simultaneously sensuous, comforting, and mysterious. Ulrich Zeitler’s setting of Novembrig in 2021/22, initiated by the Swiss cultural promoter Alois Bischof is based on the poet’s standard German version from 2017, originally written in the Swiss dialect in 1997. Zeitler’s composition draws inspiration from the richness of colours and images evoked by the lyricist’s concise and powerful words. It sensitively explores the atmospheric density, the unspeakable, residing in the spaces between the lines. The diverse layers of the topic create a cosmos of sounds that transforms the heavy into light.