The World Afire was inspired by text from one of Strent's close friends, Joseph Ferrari. The text was written in March 2020, shortly after  everything was getting cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. As seniors in high school at the time, the piece carries the message that although there was so much taken away from the world during this time, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. This was one of the most enjoyable pieces for me to write as I feel the strongest connection with the text. I was fortunate enough to have this piece premiered by an octet at the Frost School of Music in October of 2021.