The chorus describes an atmosphere of icy stillness. They talk of “The Scape-Goat, The Child of Our Time” (a “scape-goat” is someone who gets the blame for something they have not done). There is a chorus of the Persecutors and the Persecuted. The choir are split into two like the crowd scenes in Bach’s Passions. In the “Chorus of the Self-Righteous” we hear about the attitude of countries who refuse to accept more than just a few of the persecuted Jews (this includes Britain). The boy tries to save his mother. We are told of the murder of the Nazi diplomat. There is a chorus of terror. We see the boy in prison and the grieving of the mother.