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About the Score

“Reminiscence” is based on Adela Florence Nicolson’s poem “Reminiscence of Mahomed Akram” from her book “India’s Love Lyrics”. It is a continuation of the cycle of (so far) six choral pieces that are based upon Nicolson’s poetry.

One of the very enjoyable aspects of composing choral and vocal music is coming across poetry that sparks an emotional response. My job then becomes understanding how the poem functions—how it uses imagery, plot, and structure to build its own world—and to breathe musical life into these elements.

“Reminiscence of Mahomed Akram” was one such poem about love lost, how beautiful things once shared become sources of pain and despair. My lyric distills the poem to its essential imagery and plot. Although there is an overt plot (daytime with flowers, sunset waving goodbye, lamenting the stars by night), what interests me the most is the emotional journey, and this trajectory is what I develop musically.

What strikes me about the poem is the dichotomy set up between the pleasant memories of the writer’s beloved and the pain caused by these memories. This dichotomy is illustrated musically: the opening theme (through ms. 17) reflects the emotions of tender memories—perhaps poignant but definitely not sad. Towards the end (ms. 15), a very slightly ominous tone is added. After a brief pause, the next theme enters (ms. 19), based on open fifths—a very “empty” feeling figure—reflecting the present despair of the poet, as if waking up from a happy reverie, jolted back to the harsh realities of the present. The start of this theme signifies the beginning of the narrative—the poet is now back in the present.

This dichotomy develops through the entire piece, building in emotional intensity until the end of the piece (“...yet what are the stars to me?”) which summarizes the narrator’s dilemma: beautiful things now spark emotions of despair, and such things are found everywhere, even the stars. The music concludes by reflecting these final dying embers of happiness. Premiered 22-Apr-2017 by Cascadian Chorale, Gary D. Cannon, director, at Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross, Redmond, WA; 23-Apr-2017 at St. Thomas Episcopal, Medina, WA.

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