Hallo.

I am in the process, currently of writing my seventh work for choir. I seem to be in the swing of writing sequels at the moment, 'Phenomena' is a sequel to 'Why?' because where as Why? is fairly simple, in two ways: how I have written the work and the meaning behind it, Phenomena is from the same source of text, yet entirely different in feel. Why? is simply a plea to god asking why, when all this tragedy happens, do you not comfort or rescue me. Whereas Phenomena is a much more intricate and celestial script, all about reflections and echoes and full of complex ideas and imagery, therefore, 'Phenomena' the piece had to have strange techniques, hence the music (which I love) which paints the word 'Echo' where everyone comes in at separate times, yet all keep the chord going. and of course, the devilish eight note split chord. I used that for two reasons, number one, it is a crescendo of notation because of the text's meaning 'All phenomena is selfless, empty, free' and also, I tried to create the biggest chord so that it sounds like everyone for the word 'free' is independent of each other and yet is in the same area, the second 'free' is bringing them back and internalising that freedom, we are all free, yes, but we are all free together.

My seventh choral work is a setting of Lewis Carroll's 'Dream Land' This is set to be a sequel to my setting of Fairy-land. Fairy and is full of beauty and gloriousness 'Huge moons there wax and wane/every moment of the night’ which, in my head, paints the most glorious silvery image. In stark contrast however, Lewis Carroll has painted a rather sinister and dark image 'Around me tread the mighty dead' is quite a chilling quote. (also I may add, both poems aren't exactly idiomatic of their authors, Fairy Land was written by Edgar Allen Poe, famed for his dark and mysterious prose and poetry i.e. The Telltale Heart and The Raven, whereas Carroll is more commonly associated with delightful nonsense.)

To give the Carroll Poem the setting it deserves, I am keeping the music very simple and keeping most of it in the lower registers. Keeping a semi-melody, diminishing it very so often to give a different twist to the song. I have also decided to give it a piano accompaniment. Sticking with the theme, the piano is fairly simple, and uses mostly the higher and lower registers rather than mid-range. As I haven't quite mastered writing for SATB choir yet, the piano gives the song the much needed sinister bass, but only in bits where it is absolutely necessary, a bass throughout would ruin the sudden sinister-ness of the piece in my opinion.

The piece is coming along in leaps and bounds. Expect to see it available very soon.

Peace and Love x

Andrew.