progclouds

Clouds takes its inspiration from photographs of clouds taken by the composer. The photographs were given descriptive textures which were then translated into musical textures. This textural basis was formulated into a structure for the piece.

In keeping with the movement of clouds, the piece flows linearly in an ever-changing musical mood and texture. To aid this, the first part of the music is mostly un-metered so as to give the impression of this constant unhindered movement. The climax is a non-tonal, but timbre-pitched cascade signifying rainfall.

Performance notes
*The piece incorporates the use of staggered breathing to a large degree, and it is suggested that rehearsal time be given to making this technique as smooth as possible.
*The first seven sections are unmetered so as to aid the flow of the piece in a natural way.
*Singers can pitch from simple step-wise patterns or from obvious held notes in another part. The one section in which pitching is more difficult are the two bars consisting of section 10. To familiarise the singers with the sound, the following minor chromatic scale can be learnt (from Messiaen's third mode)

*This piece is largely textural so attention to dynamics, tone production, phonetics and effects are crucial. When mastered, the overall soundscape produced will be rewarding for singers and audiences alike.

audio created
with samples.

jpe