INTRODUCTION
Dear me, marked my inaugural venture into collaborating with a live choir, an enriching experience afforded by the Sitwell Singers, an amateur choir based in Derby. Building upon a prior collaboration with Dexter Drown, the conductor for the Sitwell Singers, during an orchestral project in the 2022-23 academic year, I seized the opportunity to craft a new piece for them. Remembering Dexter's previous request for assistance with Portuguese pronunciation, prompted by the choir's engagement with Brazilian music in 2023, I chose to delve into Portuguese text for this work, leveraging both their familiarity with the language and my own cultural background. Dear me, was premiered on the 29th of January 2024, as part of the Sitwell Singers New Year New Sounds concert at St John the Evangelist Churhc in Derby.
THE WORK
Exploring Portuguese served as a personal journey, reconnecting me with my Brazilian roots. While I had previously composed songs and lyrics in English, this marked my first foray into Portuguese text. I observed a fundamental contrast between English and Portuguese: the former's brevity and rapidity compared to the latter's tendency toward multisyllabic words, resulting in a slower, more deliberate cadence. English's concise vocabulary facilitates a swifter flow of speech, whereas Portuguese, with its longer, more intricate word structures, imparts a more measured pace. This disparity in linguistic rhythm profoundly influenced my composition, guiding the interplay between text and melody to ensure a harmonious fusion of language and music.
My approach to text and melody remained akin to my songwriting process, emphasizing an organic fusion of melody and language reminiscent of Brazilian bossa nova, ensuring clarity and accessibility—a quality often absent in traditional choral compositions, which I sought to rectify. The first phrase of Messiaen’s O Sacrum Convivium was one of my influences in that aspect. Also inspired by Messiaen’s approach to compositional material in that work, I incorporated additive rhythm to my main melodic motif in the first movement – initially in 3/8 and later extend to 2/4, with the main melodic material being extend by a quaver.
Preferring original text to establish a personal connection, I penned both movements of Dear me, each distinct in style and language. The first movement, I Letter, adopts an organic, linear narrative akin to a letter, expressed in English. The swift nature of English, allows me to communicate many words in a short period of time. The second movement, II Poema, assumes a more structured, introspective tone akin to poetry, conveyed in Portuguese; due to the slow pace of the language, I opted for something similar to a poem, to preserve the organic nature and cohesion when sang. This linguistic contrast reflects the divergent emotional landscapes of external expression versus internal reflection—in essence the first movement is what I choose to express to others, while the second is reserved for myself. By incorporating Portuguese in the second movement, I ensured that the message was directly being communicated to myself.
CHALLENGES
Navigating practical challenges, particularly regarding Portuguese pronunciation, I opted for a monophonic approach in the second movement to ensure clarity in the Portuguese pronunciation—an effective decision, despite not being the choir’s first language, their pronunciation and performance of Portuguese was outstanding. Additionally, I encountered practical considerations such as modulating between A-flat major and minor in the first movement, a transition met with initial resistance from the choir due to its unfamiliarity with the latter key. However, focused rehearsals gradually surmounted these hurdles, culminating in a commendable performance. Despite my anticipated challenges, the Sitwell Singers exceeded expectations, underscoring their dedication and adaptability. While technical nuances such as intonation and sight reading occasionally posed obstacles, the choir's commitment and confidence elevated the overall performance during the concert.
REFLECTION
WMy collaboration with the Sitwell Singers and Dexter proved immensely rewarding, igniting a newfound interest in choral composition and paving the way for future opportunities. I am in discussions with the Joyful Company of Singers regarding potential commissions, signifying a promising trajectory in this realm. Moving forward, I am committed to further exploring Portuguese text in choral settings, championing cultural and linguistic diversity within choral music while refining contrapuntal techniques to achieve greater individual autonomy—a pursuit evidenced by my orchestral work, CRY.