Introduction / Robert Stephan Hines
I. United States composers. The prairie, a parable of death, and psalms / Lukas Foss - The lament for Beowulf / Howard Hanson - Lamentario Jeremiae Prophetae / Ernst Krenek - Symphony no. 4, "The cycle" / Peter Mennin - Hymns and responses for the church year / Vincent Persichetti - The passion / Bernard Rogers - The throne of God / Leo Sowerby
II. English composers. The vision of judgement / Peter Racine Fricker - The water and the fire / Anthony Milner - Missa in honorem sancti dominici / Edmund Rubbra - A child of our time / Michael Tippett
III. Continental European composers. Der tod zu basel / Conrad Beck (translated by Anna K. Neufeld) - In the hall of mirrors and anabase / Karl-Birger Blomdahl - My choral music / Luigi Dallapiccola (translated by Madeleine M. Smith) - L'apocalypse selon Saint Jean / Jean Françaix (translated by Madeleine M. Smith) - Missa salve regina / Jean Langlais (translated by Madeleine M. Smith) - Golgotha / Frank Martin (translated by Madeleine M. Smith) - Triptychon / Hermann Reutter (translated by Ralph S. Fraser)
IV. Musical examples. Music representative of the composers' essays - Catalogues of composers' works