Wheatbelt is in arch form. 

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A: introduction (b. 1-23)

Whirlies drone, followed by very soft (pppp), staggered vocal entries.Texture thickens as chord progression develop when other singers join in. Rhythmic unison from bar 5 ("this land"). Gradual build up to bar 14, which is the climax of the introduction section.

B: Section 1 (b. 24-37)

Landscape vocal soundscape. Tonality oscillates between E minor and G major. Soprano melody, with other parts holding long notes. Cmaj7 chord on "heat" resolves to Bsus4 chord on "day".

C: Section 2 (b. 38-59)

Displaced ostinato and overlapping rhythms of "hear the easterly stirring", to create the sound of an easterly breeze. Becomes accompaniment for tenor/bass melody at b.42. Modulation at bar 60 from C to D (one tone up) to reflect the lyrics "rise". 

D: Section 3: (b. 60-145)

D mixolydian. Thickening of texture, with two independent rhythmic layers (hemiola) at b. 64. Meter changes (5/8 and 6/8). Comes to a climax at bars 85-91 where it is polyphonic, consisting of 3 layers. Shifting tonalities beginning in E mixolydian, G major, E dorian, Asus4 to B aeolian.

B: Material developed from Section 1 (b. 146-157)

Return of landscape noises, with melody in female parts. Melodic and harmonic material derived from section 1, now in C minor.

A: Material developed from introduction (b. 158-end).

Development of motifs from introduction, now in C minor. Rich chord progressions using many suspensions, finishing on an ambigious C chord (open 5ths). Gradually getting softer and thinner in texture, ending with an al niente.

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The composer has taken the last section of the original poem and used it as an introduction. This allows for the work to finish as it begins, creating a cyclical structure.