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  ABW Composer

CUrRent projects and thOughts

'...this wild joy'

3/10/2022

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Over the past year and half I've been writing this song cycle, based on texts from a wonderful anthology of poetry from Shambala Publications on themes of impermanence, mindfulness and joy.  Some of it ancient and not quite so ancient Chinese and Japanese, some of it more modern and Western. 

For most of the poems I've found myself conducting what I've termed 'fieldwork' - being in nature observing elements that form part of the poems, talking to - among others - a Buddhist monk about the notion of interconnectedness, for others drawing on elements of personal experience, including a trek to Everest Base Camp in 2015. 

Scored for quite a darkly rich combination of alto flute, bass clarinet, viola and piano, with mezzo-soprano and baritone, the  work is dedicated to Helen Charlston and MIchael Craddock. 

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    Isolation Songbook


    ​Lockdown reignited creativity for many. Sourdough, woodwork, you name it, there was a lot going on. Our friends, Helen Charlston & Michael Craddock were due to marry in April 2020; plans were stymied. Helen wrote Michael a poem to mark the would’ve-been day, then Owain Park set it to music. Together with pianist Alexander Soares, the Isolation Songbook was born. Fifteen new commissions, music and words, a live-streamed premiere on July 29th in association with City Music Foundation from St Pancras Clock Tower, and then a recording by award-winning label, Delphian Records in September. The CD/download is to be released on March 26th, a year after the beginning of the first lockdown. I’m delighted to be one of those involved in this amazing project, a series of personal responses to the pandemic, from melancholy to laugh-a-minute, from stillness to silliness. You can find out more and order your CD at https://www.delphianrecords.com/products/isolation-songbook

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