The thistle is the emblem of Scotland as a barefoot viking raider cried out in pain as he stood on one, alerting the Scottish army encampment that the Norse army were sneaking up on.
Written by Icelandic composer Jón Leifs in 1964, the piece called Hekla, Op 52, requires four sets of rocks hit with hammers, steel plates, anvils, sirens, cannons and metal chains to play.
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