Reinventing the Organ: A new repertoire, a new role and a new culture for the organ family in a time of change
Lead Research Organisation:
Royal Academy of Music
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
The proposed research project would consist of me composing a series of pieces for organ and different contrasting ensembles, for example; organ and small mixed ensemble, organ and percussion group, organ with a larger group of musicians including singers thereby making a music-theatre piece and so on. Such a project would genuinely break new ground, as hitherto the organ has rarely been used in a chamber-music format and my work would therefore form the beginnings of a whole new genre. Over the course of five years, I would aim to produce 6-8 pieces as well as a smaller number of electronic keyboard and accordion and ensemble, these two instruments being part of the organ 'family' and also not having been much written-for in this way to date.
A good number of pieces needs to be produced in order to explore a range of instrumentation, and to create the substanital beginnings of a new reportoire. Each piece will form a coherent entity and be capable of standing on its own apart from the others. Equally, however, they will all be linked together in a structure which can turn the collection into a single large-scale work. This broader architecture will have its roots in an ancient Christian ritual, which in turn will provide the framework for a secular piece with real contemporary relevance. The Church's 'Canonical Hours' with its division into the separate rites of Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce*, Sext, Nones, Vespers and Compline will provide the formal structure on which I will superimpose a programmatic layer depicting a particular 'slice' of contemporary humanity and its pre-occupations. We live at the beginnning of a new century, in affluent liberated Northern Europe, and in a big city with its mish-mash of cultures, different ethnic and economic groups - with all the many tensions that accompany such a position. Recent events in the world have made clear how very fragile our position is. The separate pieces will each develop the individual themes inherent in the 'Hours' whilst also depicting a series of musical 'dialogues' - at times confrontational - between individuals and groups within different ethnic communities and between people with radically different expectations of what life is about. Some of the parts would have text, others be purely instrumental, instruments themselves taking on 'roles'. The organ (or one of the two 'sister' instruments) is naturally present in all pieces either as protagonist, commentator, or simply as part of the background fabric.
The organ has, until now, occupied a somewhat fixed, static, role in music - literally, in that the instrument can't be moved around a space in teh same way as a violin can, say, but also because it has tended to exist in its own cultural microcosm within the church. IN my piece it will acquire a new fluidity role and could be seen as being emblematic of ourselves in a time of change. My work will be bold and reflect serious issues facing our society at the present time.
Young musicians at the Academy would be involved at all stages in the performing of the various parts as they are written, and also in composing works fro similar ensembles. The organ would gain much from the expansion of its traditional role in church music to one where it takes place alongside other instruments in contemporary music-making in the concert hall.
* A version of Terce has already been written.
A good number of pieces needs to be produced in order to explore a range of instrumentation, and to create the substanital beginnings of a new reportoire. Each piece will form a coherent entity and be capable of standing on its own apart from the others. Equally, however, they will all be linked together in a structure which can turn the collection into a single large-scale work. This broader architecture will have its roots in an ancient Christian ritual, which in turn will provide the framework for a secular piece with real contemporary relevance. The Church's 'Canonical Hours' with its division into the separate rites of Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce*, Sext, Nones, Vespers and Compline will provide the formal structure on which I will superimpose a programmatic layer depicting a particular 'slice' of contemporary humanity and its pre-occupations. We live at the beginnning of a new century, in affluent liberated Northern Europe, and in a big city with its mish-mash of cultures, different ethnic and economic groups - with all the many tensions that accompany such a position. Recent events in the world have made clear how very fragile our position is. The separate pieces will each develop the individual themes inherent in the 'Hours' whilst also depicting a series of musical 'dialogues' - at times confrontational - between individuals and groups within different ethnic communities and between people with radically different expectations of what life is about. Some of the parts would have text, others be purely instrumental, instruments themselves taking on 'roles'. The organ (or one of the two 'sister' instruments) is naturally present in all pieces either as protagonist, commentator, or simply as part of the background fabric.
The organ has, until now, occupied a somewhat fixed, static, role in music - literally, in that the instrument can't be moved around a space in teh same way as a violin can, say, but also because it has tended to exist in its own cultural microcosm within the church. IN my piece it will acquire a new fluidity role and could be seen as being emblematic of ourselves in a time of change. My work will be bold and reflect serious issues facing our society at the present time.
Young musicians at the Academy would be involved at all stages in the performing of the various parts as they are written, and also in composing works fro similar ensembles. The organ would gain much from the expansion of its traditional role in church music to one where it takes place alongside other instruments in contemporary music-making in the concert hall.
* A version of Terce has already been written.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Diana Burrell (Principal Investigator) |