Promises: Movement 1

Movement 1 introduces the motif that runs through all of Promises, a seven-note arpeggio on synthesizer, piano and harpsichord that NPR's Nate Chinen said twirls like a hanging prism, with Sanders's tenor entering above it, unhurried and warm. Sam Shepherd composed it and played the keyboards; the strings of the London Symphony Orchestra were added later. Sanders never performed Promises live. Its only performance, at the Hollywood Bowl in September 2023, came a year after his death, with Shabaka Hutchings playing his part and footage of Sanders shown to a silent audience before it began.