London Symphony Orchestra

Verse 1: 100 Full Moons of Autumn
Verse 2: I can summon all the Protectors
Chorus: I dance within a blazing garland or I love you in gladness

This work, is developed from a song I wrote and sang in folk clubs in the 1990s. Its overall form corresponds to that of the original song, with each section primarily based on melodic and rhythmic material in its equivalent Verse/Chorus in the original song.

Five phrases are adapted from The Praises to the Twenty One Tara's which form part of the Tibetan Buddhist Green Tara (a manifestation of the Buddhist deity) Practice, while four 'non-deity' phrases from the original song are retained in the Chorus.

A primary feature which relates the work to its 'folk' seed is its modal character – particularly the descending Dorian mode (in combination with the Phrygian and Aeolian descending modes) on which Verse 1 is built.

Different ways of using the voice feature in this work – conventional classical, Sprechgesang, non-classical ('folk'), jazz and speech. The jazz alto has the option to choose her own scat syllables in written out 'scat-like' sections, and the Chorus contains two sections where she improvises. She makes her entry in the Chorus singing ad lib in jazz ballad style.

Glissandos and wind vibrato make a frequent appearance in Verse 2 and the Chorus, imitating note bending in jazz and folk music, and brass shakes and vocal vibrato in jazz.

_{Note by Marilyn Herman}

Marilyn Herman

Marilyn Herman is a composer with a strong folk and jazz, as well as classical, background. Her compositions have been characterised as 'jazz-classical', and are also deeply influenced by various world musics. She has researched, published, performed and danced Ethiopian and Yemenite music. Her works have been performed at a number of venues in the UK and the United States, including five London New Winds Festivals, and a PRS workshop with John Woolrich.

I Portrait & Pact
II Transformation 1
III Transformation 2
IV Scene (confrontation & finale)

This suite develops musical material for a prospective ballet for solo dancer based on Oscar Wilde's tale of Dorian Gray. The idea for the stage work is to re-imagine the portrait as a video installation, which opens the possibility of a dancer (Dorian) duetting in real time with a portrait of themselves. 

The dance will be structured in four narrative scenes (duets for solo dancer with video) with ‘transformation’ interludes for video and music only which depict the corruption of the portrait. This suite consists of four movements, the first and fourth develop material intended for the narrative scenes and the second and third develop material intended for the ‘transformation’ interludes. 

The first movement is a brief statement for all instruments that transforms slow music with distinct instrumental parts to a faster passage integrating all of the ensemble. 

The second movement is led by the flute, with ensemble and electronic extensions of the flute sound. These ‘extensions’ grow and extend, eventually subsuming the flute.

The third movement is initially led by the clarinet which gives way to a reprise of the opening material and a fairly long passage for cello and electronics in which the cello is extended and expanded by live transposition, transforming and enlarging the instrumental sound. 

The final movement features a mix of quicker material for cello alongside stately chords and textures that eventually win out toward a stark ending (as the portrait comes to dominate Dorian). 

The video presented here is very much a demo to help contextualise e the visual element. The long-term intention is something more deeply integrated with the music (and certainly not my own face!). 

I have been thinking about the idea for this piece for about seven years, so I am delighted to have had the chance to develop this music  (huge thank you to LSO Soundhub scheme and the fabulous players and technicians for making this possible!). With this musical material I can approach choreographers, videographers and funders in order to take the project to the next stage. I’d also like to thank Sally Beamish who has patiently supported me in this project as mentor. Her enquiries, insights and suggestions have been extremely helpful, and her enthusiasm is infectious and encouraging. 

_{Note by Arthur Keegan -Bole}

Arthur Keegan-Bole

Arthur Keegan-Bole is a composer whose music is often inspired by text; from poetry and literature to twitter feeds and graffiti. Current projects include a collaboration with mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean exploring poetry by Thomas Hardy. This includes a new song cycle for guitar and voice, a full-scale string quartet with mezzo-soprano as well as a suite of arrangements of songs that set Hardy from the last 100 years.

Arthur says 'I am surprised (and delighted!) to be making a composing career at all'. Having grown up in a non-musical, working class household, he began to learn the guitar aged 14. 'A friend took me to my first classical music concert when I was 16 and from that point on, I began an intense journey toward composing professionally.'

Arthur's music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and performed across the UK, as well as in the US and Canada. He is a recipient of the Paul Hamlyn Award for Artists 2020.

Four Forms (Horizon) is a sonic sculpture garden of interwoven lines and ever-changing vistas. Each performer acts as an independent entity – their music always slightly apart from one another, although sharing similar DNA. Throughout the piece, these distinct elements are viewed in a number of ways as if the sight lines are constantly shifting and your focus is being drawn from one to the other. The material builds from the start, layering sounds in the electronics until the piece seems to break down under its own weight. As the piece comes apart, the electronics take centre stage creating an intricate, fractured sound world that slowly dissipates.

_{Note by Alex Groves}

Alex Groves

Alex Groves is an Ivor Novello-nominated composer and curator working across contemporary classical and electronic music. His work blends classical instruments, ambient textures and live-processed electronics to create uncanny soundworlds which blur the line between acoustic and electronic.

Current projects include commissions for soloists Kate Ellis, Zubin Kanga and Benjamin Goldscheider, collaborations with the National Gallery and MONOM, and performances with EXAUDI and Plus Minus Ensemble. Other recent work includes commissions for Rakhi Singh, Manchester Collective and London Contemporary Dance School, and a new music theatre work for English Touring Opera.

His music has been presented at the Southbank Centre, Barbican Centre, Sage Gateshead, Royal Opera House, V&A, Union Chapel, St George's Bristol and King's Place, broadcast on NTS Radio, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music, and released on Nonclassical and Bedroom Community.