I am currently working on a new piece for the Bath Camerata Choir (directed by Nigel Perrin). This will be for their annual concert on Good Friday, 2 April 2010.
The piece is starting to take shape and I was able to work with a very fine student ensemble of singers and a bass guitarist today in the stunning Meeting House (the chapel at Sussex University). The aim of our session was to try out sections of the sketched score, and to work on phrasing, balance, and on bringing out the sharp contrasts (present in both the ancient and modern texts of this piece) between inward expression and anguished cries. I introduced the bass guitarist into the ensemble initially for practical reasons (holding pitch) but after today I am very drawn to the subtle inflections of timbre (ranging from bright to mellow to an inward, near-plucked sound) available from this instrument, as well as its astonishing cutting power.
I was very grateful to the singers involved in this practical session: Amanda, Gemma, Rose, Michelle, Liz, Duncan, and Mike on bass guitar. Hoping we can work on it again in the run up to the premiere by Bath Camerata.
The work will set a segment of Psalm 69, plus poems drawn from the collection 'Poems from Guantanamo' (University of Iowa Press, 2007, edited by Marc Falkoff) which documents the poetry of some of those interned over the last few years.
The section we tried today was from the opening of the piece (text - Psalm 69) and here is a short audio sample of our session:
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