Michael Carson Painted Serenity and Awe Through the Orchestral Prism of ‘Rainbows’ –

Classical composer Michael Carson has long held the rare gift of charging orchestral works with grace, poise, and a subtle fire that transcends academic rigour. His latest release, Rainbows, is one of the most seminal marks on his discography. Here, Carson turns to the natural wonder that has always symbolised possibility and fragile beauty. With a near-gospel swell rising through his classically rooted score, he transforms a fleeting meteorological marvel into a meditation on colour, awe, and transcendence.

The nine-minute piece unfurls like prisms spilling across the horizon, each string pull and flurried progression catching the ear as though refracting light itself. The sense of wonder is constant, but it never tips into excess; instead, Carson grants his listeners breathing space, an invitation to step beyond the humdrum and let the imagination linger where synaesthesia collides with the sublime. Fantasia courses through the orchestration, yet serenity remains at its core.

Carson, who has been steadily shaping his place within modern classical composition, has always struck a balance between discipline and emotive instinct. With Rainbows, he widens that spectrum, allowing the music to ripple outward in hues of reflection and quiet ecstasy. It’s music as meditation, as theatre, as scripture in sound.

Rainbows is now available on all major streaming platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast