April 2017 – Composing The Quiet Window

April 11th
A list of urgent tasks to plough through today and I didn’t make it to the actual composing part of the list, before our afternoon and evening out.
So instead…Before And After Of The Day: The K6 and Cathedral at College Green in Durham, before and after Turkish food in the city, spotting two more K6s with phones in them, a windy stroll along the River Wear, arriving early and gazing once again at the complete awesomeness of this wonderful building, watching with amusement as the ushers tried to fit too many ticket holders into not enough pews, listening to the Royal Northern Sinfonia, their chorus and soloists perform Handel’s Israel In Egypt with great verve and joy, gazing just a little bit more, the sun going down while we were otherwise occupied. There is something completely exhilarating about the entry into proceedings of the brass and timpani, also I know this piece very well indeed and was singing along under my breath, and tears came to my eyes during “He Gave Them Hailstones For Rain” which is one of my favourite bits of music ever, and also I soaked up with great interest “Their Land brought Forth Frogs” because we’re learning that with The Bridge Singers in a brand new arrangement for unaccompanied choir. I think last night’s frogs were a bit sprightly. Ours will be somewhat more languid in their hopping.

 

April 8th, 9th, 10th
Glass Orchestra.
On Saturday, I gathered together all the glass orchestra elements and had a good go on them all, and also constructed a set of skewer and cork beaters. On Sunday I introduced the poem and concept of the song to The Bridge Singers at their Singing Day in beautiful Ingram, and after lunch we composed various pieces of music using the glass orchestra. On Monday I gathered together photos of the day and edited the glass compositions into this video. We will use sounds we discovered on the glass instruments in our Magical Glass recital in June.

 

April 7th
Overlapping Oscillations.
It’s A minor and B major with a bit of D major thrown in – divisi lower parts with glass orchestra. Meanwhile the sopranos will be soaring and serenely channelling their inner Hildegard. Elsewhere, I’ve been nettled good and proper today, despite the gloves and the sleeves, but the nettles have ultimately been Cheryled and are now in the bin awaiting Landfill Nirvana. I refuse to put noxious weeds in my compost or the green waste collection bins – I understand they make this green waste into compost, and I’m not convinced those weeds won’t be back to haunt me or someone else. The image is the reflection of a quiet window at Darlington Station.

 

April 6th
Accompaniment Patterns.
They need a bit of space in between and a bit of light to shine on them, but still, the mood is gradually crystalizing. In other news I have been to a collection of charity shops to boost my stack of glass orchestra detritus and Jamie and I have fashioned some stylish glass beaters out of corks and skewers. We hunted for skewers in ASDA near the Regents Centre Metro with no luck. We asked one of the supervisors, she hunted round the shop, convinced they had them, even though every other assistant she asked insisted it was not the skewer season until Easter was over. She knew she’d seen them last week, but alas we found them not. Just as we’d scanned out last other item at the self-checkout, she popped up again with skewers – she’d continued to look for them for us. I was very impressed, but not surprised, as I know how these supervisors are immensely hard-working, friendly and diligent. The picture is of some accompaniment patterns at Sheffield Station on Wednesday.

 

April 5th

 

Day off so no progress on The Quiet Window today. I’ve been to see Michael before he heads off to France for the next six months. We went to Danesill Lakes near Retford for the sunrise, and then circuitously back, via Carburton and Norton, avoiding major roadworks.

  1. Chaffinch sings in the dawn.
  2. Four trunks
  3. Spring reeds
  4. Stamen burst
  5. Sunrise buds
  6. Rusty “250 MilesTo Edinburgh” and brother
  7. Great Crested Grebe. Lake mist.
  8. Siblings
  9. Sunny sundial
  10. Stained glass sunburst
  11. Flakey diamonds
  12. K6 brother

April 4th. Magical glass: reflections; shadows; fingerprints; windows.
TI, who installed the windows in 1870 and modestly left his initials was probably Rev. Thomas Ilderton, vicar from 1850 to 1872. This was also the year when they found Scottish remains under the floorboards. Thomas will get a mention in the song.

April 3rd. More Glass Orchestra Pfaff
Water + Glass vessels = lots of fun in the kitchen. The Bridge Singers were splendid tonight, by the way. We’ve been booked for a wedding in May so we’ve been Ruttering like good ‘uns, at the request of the bride. Such a clever composer for choirs – easy-ish with a hint of wandering harmony scrunch to pique the interest and no rhythmic startlement. I’m not clever for choirs at all in this latter regard, but still they manage!!! This is the Felton telephone box as seen through the copse near the church that contains The Quiet Window. Soon this view will be gone what with all the impending leaves and what have you.

 

April 2nd. Glass orchestra pfaff.
I’ve been experimenting with some glass sounds for the beginning of the piece using my glass orchestra sound producers from the olden days at Grangetown Primary School. We’ll be using some in the song. These wine glasses all respond in different ways and with differing success to the fingers and the water, with lots of squeaks and burps as well as the ringing. Should sound dramatic with a lot of them and the resonant church.
Also today, I actually planted a few things in the garden, after three months of forking and digging things up. Quite a refreshing turn of events. The sun was behaving happily and made some spring shadows for me.

 

April 1st. The Quiet Window
Draft Lyrics:
The quiet window.
Its modesty permits its half-hiding
By fun-seekers’ chattels,
And spidery filigree.

The quiet window
Keeps its counsel
While long-dead are reburied,
While trysts are kept,
While whimpering heads are bathed,
While clamorous kindred catch our ears
With their rainbow stories.

The quiet window
Is scattered in glassy kaleidoscopes,
Emerging beside archangels, lambs, pyramids
And Thomas himself,
Who placed it there with mannered simplicity.

The quiet window
Of cracks, of light splinters, of crumbling sand,
Is to fall from its lofty prospect,
Shattering its patient silence…

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