w16354
| Title | Song for the Inner Self, A |
| Contributors |
Gareth Clemson aka CHEZZ (composer) |
| Composition date | |
| Duration (mins) | 15 |
| Category | orchestral |
| Instrumentation | 22(1)22 / 422+11 Perc Pf (celesta) Str |
| Commissioned by | |
| Key signature | |
| First line | |
| First performed | |
| Notes | |
| Programme Note | After a gestation period of several years, Song for the Inner Self first appeared as a short story. This is a fictional account detailing a musical journey from first conception to final performance and the difficulties encountered on the way. Within every creative artist is the desire to be heard and recognised. There is a feeling of optimism and a melodic line constantly changing. All three ideas are suggested by the title. Here is a quotation from the short story which encapsulates the essence of how the work came into being: "Unknown to his friend, Stan Berkenshaw had had this musical idea in the back of his mind for some considerable time. He was reluctant to start serious work on such a composition because of difficulties in having his orchestral pieces performed. So often, sending a score away meant it disappeared into limbo. There seemed to be an insurmountable reluctance for professionals to even open the music let alone acknowledge receiving it. Just as with authors, chance played a part. What more could he do? He was still working on that one. The basic idea was simple enough. Instead of the usual process of developing a musical idea, changing it or extending it, he decided to do the opposite. Let the listener observe the compositional process as the music unfolded, a continuous evolution of an idea as it blossoms into its final form. He would need to choose his percussion carefully, especially for the opening with its jungle effects, music of indefinite pitch arising, as it were, from the jungle undergrowth. Otherwise, it would be the standard symphony orchestra with harp and celesta. (The piano is substituted for the harp in the final piece)." The music follows its own evolutionary path with no repetitions in the conventional sense. Just as with a deep discussion with a friend, where the final point of the conversation only becomes clear at the end, the music arrives at its climactic destination in its own good time. The perceptive listener will detect an element of the subconscious at work as the piece unfolds. A scalic figure of five notes gradually emerges and never seems far away. Chord clusters are also in evidence. Much of the harmony is based on a polytonal three note chord, the tonal ambiguity of which contributes to the build up of tension. Why subconscious? Simply because these elements only revealed themselves after the work was nearing completion. The conscious mind had no part in this at all. Others are free to explore other subconscious elements if they wish. Over the years, listeners have commented on a strong pictorial element in the composer's music. This assertion even surfaced towards the end of his school days. It should be stressed that Song is abstract and not programmatic at all. Nonetheless, for those who desire some hidden meaning as an aid to appreciating the piece, there is a deeper symbolism. The forest, with its shafts of sunlight and darker areas, is the world in which we live, where the life cycle begins as the humus at the foot of a tree, which, over many years, grows to maturity. Turning points in our lives are indicated by successive climaxes, relieved by moments of repose, til, finally, the building bricks of our life begin to tumble and we fall back to the forest floor, from whence we all come. |
This work is associated with the following collection items:
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