Let Him Return acknowledges the fear, anger, sadness, and raw courage of the women throughout history who have prayed the universal prayer that their men return safely home from war. Primarily triadic, there are numerous modulations throughout this work, effectively preventing harmonic predictability. The vocals begin with the altos in unison, then sopranos divisi, and finally all women in three part harmony. Likewise, the piano accompaniment opens with a simple log drum-like figure suggesting ancient times; the music’s energy gradually increases in complexity to reflect the passage of centuries; it finally culminates in a contemporary, powerful rock ballad
 texture.