For me, the project Whispers in the Woods is an excellent
opportunity to explore how music composition and poetry can sit alongside each
other creatively and how this can be presented in new ways. Rather than giving a
pre-concert talk, I hope to take the audience on a preconcert poetry walk to share some of the history and
places that have inspired the string quartet.
The Bailies of Bannachie have worked closely with Forestry
Commission Scotland and archaeologist and anthropologists from the University
of Aberdeen to explore the hill’s crofting history. I have been fortunate to
follow their work for several years now and the wooded slopes have gradually
transformed into a place in which people lived and made a living. My poem
Pottery and Claypipe was originally inspired by some of the findings at one of
the archaeological digs at Bennachie last summer.
Bennachie not only has a very rich social history, it has
also inspired several folk tales. As part of surround-sound, Forestry
Commission Scotland will also premiere the opera
The Maiden Stone composed by Joe Stollery and with a libretto Catriona Yule which will be performed on the hill on 5 and 6 September. It is exciting to present my
work next to this opera as it reveals the rich repertoire of stories related to
the hill and different ways in which music and words can reinforce each other. Thus
far I have made good progress with the composition of the string quartet and
will soon start looking for ways in which the storyline of the string quartet
can be presented through poetry and may well end up using dramatic monologue
to do so.
Copyright words and image Petra Vergunst
Really interesting, I'd love to go and see it. Will put it on my diary.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this! :-)
You're welcome, Yiann!
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