Descent

A trawler has fouled his gear with his net,
the motor is useless and his boat is being
dragged relentlessly closer to a reef. He
sends out a mayday as he and his crew don
survival suits.
Men are woken from their sleep; they
rush to the harbour, donning boots and
oilskins. A lifeboat is launched.
A Sea King rescue helicopter picks up
the mayday signal and takes off. The pilots
communicate with the trawler captain and
the skipper on the lifeboat and when they
arrive the crew of the trawler is already in
the water. The rescue divers winch down
and pick up the men, one by one, in the
thunderous downdraft of the rotors and the
pitching of the roiling sea.
And all the while the orchestra plays,
the music increasing in intensity, speed and
power. As the piece nears its climax we
follow a crowd that is gathering. They have
also climbed the mountain and amongst
them we see the pilot, the captain, the sheep
farmer, the fisherman, the people of Lofoten.
And Philip Glass.
The music ends and the sky is filled
with the green swirls of the Aurora Borealis.