Black Gold was commissioned by the Musikverein 1891 ‘Harmonie’ Saarwellingen e.V. (Germany) to mark its 130th anniversary. The composition depicts the history of mining in the town of Saarwellingen and its surroundings, where the lives of the miners and their families revolved around coal, the black gold, for centuries. The piece is based on motifs from the well-known song ‘Glück auf, Glück auf, der Steiger kommt...’, a veritable anthem for miners all over the world.