Nice beginning to set up the atmosphere of the piece. As I'm listening, I don't know what to expect except greatness. However it didn't build until the 3 minute mark and I found my focus drifting away from the piece up to then. But once we got there, it's quite remarkable how you're able to reach such a blissful climax such as this. Will it be enough?
Overall, I heard the lull in this piece as that is perhaps what you might have been talking about in how you been feeling as of late, but it has it's sparks of brilliance peaking around the corners.
That synth at 5:08 for a moment was quite nice--as if it was sighing.
Good work here. With the crazy group that you're in, it's going to be quite sad whoever wins as someone great is going to be left behind too soon in the contest.