Publisher Desc.  The poem "High Flight" was written by John Gillespie Magee, Jr., a pilot who was killed in a flying accident in Lincolnshire, England, during World War II. He completed the poem only a few months before his death. The musical setting attempts to capture the sense of flight and movement through rising, soaring gestures and a persistent feeling of propulsion. The only moments of stillness occur when the poet speaks of hovering, and again at the conclusion when he feels he has touched the face of God. This piece was commissioned by the Kalamazoo Singers to commemorate their 40th anniversary season.