The Song Cycle for tenor and soprano with piano was written following the composer's completion of a course at UBC taught by Dr. Richard Kurth which explored the relationship between music and poetry. The in-depth study of vocal music inspired Yvonne to pursue the composition of a work which would explore the intriguing connection between language, musical meaning, and understanding. The goal was to create a set of songs which would each explore different elements of musical expression, searching for the perfect combination of music and word which would ensure that each element remained autonomous yet at the same time completely interconnected.
The poetry of Peter Gillespie provided the perfect inspiration since Yvonne has always been intrigued by his writing, not just the poetic constructions but especially by the intensity of the hidden or underlying meaning. When setting the poetry, the piano score and the vocal lines needed to have their own multiple layers of meaning and not just provide a picturesque or imitative background. The music needed to be able to be expressively self-sufficient, yet when combined with the words would allow the listener to experience a more compelling and expressive understanding and experience. The Song Cycle provides alternate readings of the poetry and ultimately provides the listener with the opportunity to discover new meaning both in the words and in the music. This work was dedicated to Dr. Richard Kurth.
Instrumentation: Soprano, Tenor, and Piano
Duration: 16 minutes
Performed by Kevin Zakresky and Ms. Avril
1. Alive once more
Droplets hang in timeless space
reflecting sun’s first light
suspended in our web of life
prism to our sanctum
misty shore knows mist once more
stealing silently
seeping through as morning dew
creeping playfully
Morning zephyr brushes by
gentle in its call
raising muse of calmer tides
tranquil in its blessing
forest floor alive once more
bending with each breath
softly sways in peaceful play
hauntingly bereft
Waves of white fall crashing down
piercing to the core
beating drums of vacant cares
hearing our desires
Ocean’s roar folds in once more
boasting boisterously
calling out in endless shouts
setting spirits free
2. Another Night
Sleepless . . .
somnolent in my wake
persistent mind condemns
thoughts to hopeless sake
Cutting . . .
through logical frontiers
insanity prevails
penetrating fear
Telling . . .
clandestine tales on loan
grave horrors that I’ve known
haunting through my bones
Echo . . .
repeating senseless rhymes
restating inept tolls
rendering me blind
Hopeless . . .
mute torment in my breadth
unconsciousness evades
boundaries of unrest
Waking . . .
Sapping thoughts I rue
Culling sense no verdict
Spent, I start anew
3. A Ripple to my Thoughts
a crimson sky
a jade blanket
a stony peak
a gibber brook
on crunching snow
on echo’s plea
on whispering nights
on soothing tones
in fire’s pant
in sprig’s specter
in rainy haze
in spring’s new tang
I see, I hear, I smell time gone
I feel my life’s faint paths
I taste the joy of looking back
a ripple to my thoughts
4. ... of losing you
of burning cheek
of blurry eyes
of razing mind
of misplaced heart
of losing you
of losing hope
of letting go
of life
© 2010 Peter Gillespie