Israfel is an arranged excerpt from The Ecstasies Above. The latter was commissioned from the Robert Baker Commissioning Fund for Sacred Music by Yale Institute of Sacred Music, was premièred by Yale Schola Cantorum under the direction of Simon Carrington on 4th March, 2007 in Woolsey Hall, Yale University.
The minimum number of singers required is 16 (two each per chorus part, together with the solo voices); however, a larger number for the main chorus (16-32 voices, for example) is more suitable.
