Now from Nimbus comes
another of Blackford’s choral works, Voices
of Exile. It was back in 1992
that Blackford recorded a 15-year-old refugee girl, Kamla, in the Kalighat slum
area of Calcutta. Her village had been destroyed by drought and she, like
hundreds of thousands, lived on Calcutta’s streets. When her family left her
village they had to walk for days and consequently could take none of their few
possessions. All she could bring with her, she said, were her songs, a link
with her village, her past and her culture.
It was not until 2001that
Blackford was able to incorporate Kamla’s song into Voices of Exile which also
sets words from a variety of sources. David Hill https://twitter.com/davidhconductor
directs the Bach Choir www.thebachchoir.org.uk, New London Children’s Choir www.newlondonchildrenschoir.org.uk
and
Philharmonia Orchestra www.philharmonia.co.uk
with
soloists Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo-soprano) www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/mezzo-soprano/catherine-wyn-rogers
, Gregory Kunde (tenor) www.gregorykunde.com/news and
Gerald Finley (baritone) www.geraldfinley.com
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| NI 6264 |
Prelude (Tenor Solo
and Chorus) is a setting of Poetry after Auschwitz by Tony Harrison. Two
drum taps, an echo of timpani and a solo violin playing an astringent theme leads
to the solo tenor, Gregory Kunde, in the poignant words,
Redeeming fire melts only wax redeeming fire meant to invoke
the souls from Auschwitz chimney stacks their destiny of
smoke
Eventually Kunde is accompanied firstly by the solo violin,
then the orchestra in this dramatic theme. When the choir enters, the tenor
rises up in passion before descending to just the tenor and solo violin to end.
PART I Memories of
Home
Bengal (Chorus with
tape) sets a Bengali folksong in the recording of Kamla Chaudhuri as well
as words by Taslima Nasrin from Bangladesh. Kamla sings the opening before
chorus enters followed by a spoken text with choral background ‘A year has
passed and I am one year older, but the new year has brought no hope of
freedom…’ Towards the end, the text is spoken in a variety of overlaid languages.
Tibet (Baritone Solo
and Children’s Choir) sets the poem Memories of Tibet by Gergyi Tsering
Gonpo and opens with light textures from a variety of percussion before a syncopated
orchestral theme. The New London Children’s Choir takes over from Baritone,
Gerald Finley who returns later, adding something of an operatic quality in the
way he pushes the drama forward.
Zaire (Chorus)
sets Kin the Beautiful by Mabiala Molu, in strongly rhythmic music in some
somewhat reminiscent of Leonard Bernstein. There is some fine choral singing
from the Bach Choir with a strong climax at the end and running straight into a
cry from the Somali singer, Osman Dugleh that opens Part II.
PART II Journeys
Somalia (Tenor Solo
with tape). Osman Dugleh’s cry leads into the tenor solo part with a hushed
orchestra and rumbling drums as Gregory Kunde sings the words of ‘Fleeing’ by
Abdirahman Mirreh, a particularly poignant moment, both musically and
textually. Blackford does a remarkable job in making his orchestra leave traces
of world music within the texture.
Tibet (Baritone Solo)
brings more verses by Gergyi Tsering Gonpo
‘Crossing the Frontier.’ It is a recording of Gonpo’s gentle voice that is
accompanied by the orchestra before baritone, Gerald Finley, joins in this
flowing, affecting melody. Blackford’s setting of the words, ‘How can I slip
away like this,’ somehow brings to mind Michael Tippett’s of ‘A Child of Our
Time.’
Austria – Passacaglia
(Chorus and Children’s Chorus) returns us to Europe and Nazi Austria with a
setting of ‘It has happened’ by Erich Fried. Returning to Nazi persecution
again suddenly jolts us into the tragically timeless nature of persecution and
exile. There is some fine part writing that weaves the chorus and children’s
chorus in the words, ‘It has happened and it goes on happening.’
Somalia – Fugue (Chorus) takes its text from ‘Time’ by Abdirahman Mirreh, running straight into a terrific fugue.
PART III Prison
With Chile
(Mezzo-soprano Solo) there is an orchestral opening with thunder effects
before Maria Eugenia Bravo Calderara reads from her own poem, ‘Private Soldier’.
Catherine Wyn-Rogers enters for the first time in a finely sung part that moves
around dramatically with the orchestra and soloist becoming increasingly
passionate up to the words, ’But I know what you are called. Human…’ There is a
poignant coda with solo violin.
Nigeria (Tenor and
Baritone Soli) opens with a quiet drum
roll and a descending woodwind theme before the soloists join, first Gregory
Kunde, then Gerald Finley, in a text on genocide. The text quotes from the
words of Blake’s Jerusalem ‘I will not cease from Mental Fight…’ with Blackford
drawing on Parry’s setting before a fine dramatic orchestral climax.
Turkey (Chorus). An
a cappella chorus brings a setting of The Embrace by Oktay Rifat to end Part
III with some first rate choral singing.
PART IV Exile
Strange percussion sounds open the rhythmic Bosnia (Baritone Solo) a setting of
‘Neither here nor there’ by Himzo Skoropan, before the soloist enters. Whilst
the first two verses seem to take a less intense tone, the second two are given
more drama and tension, with braying orchestral interruptions.
Macedonia (Chorus with
tape) features a folksong sung by Tanya Czarovska. Her recorded voice opens
this section alone before spoken text is then overlaid. Soon the chorus enter, quietly
behind the soloist and spoken text in this inspired section.
Catherine Wyn-Rogers opens Algeria (Mezzo-soprano Solo) in the text,’ I remember you standing
at the balcony waving…’ Blackford’s writing of the orchestral part is masterly
as the mezzo soprano sings a descending motif.
PART V Freedom
Greece (Chorus)
sets an extract from ‘Exile and Return’ by Yannis Ritsos for chorus and
orchestra. Rhythmic drums precede the entry of the chorus who, when they arrive
display some fine singing in Blackford’s terrific part writing.
With Kurdistan
(Mezzo-soprano and Tenor Soli), a setting of ‘My Wish’ by Mohammed Khaki, Catherine
Wyn-Rogers takes the lovely melody of, ’In my dreams I come to your tent…’
before the tenor joins and the orchestra lifts the music to an even higher
level. There are some lovely textures of voice and orchestra in the coda.
Angola (Mezzo-soprano,
Tenor, Baritone Soli, Chorus and Children’s Chorus) brings together all the
forces in a setting of Antonio Joaquim Marques’ ‘Daughter of the Desert.’ The
orchestra picks up the pace before baritone, Gerald Finley enters in this
superbly written piece. Finley is soon joined by mezzo, Catherine Wyn-Rogers then
tenor, Gregory Kunde before finally the two chorus in an uplifting section
that’s ends quietly.
Epilogue (Tenor Solo)
brings us full circle to another setting of a poem by Tony Harrison, ‘Poem’
with hushed orchestra, tenor and solo viola before overlaid texts are recited.
It is a solo violin with the quiet thunder of timpani that leads to the coda where
the timpani make a last dramatic roll.
This is a fine choral work that deserves to be heard often. The
tragedy that underlies Voices of Exile
is, if anything, more prevalent in the world today that ever, making this such
an apposite work. One of the additional benefits of this work is to introduce
us to poets that, perhaps would not normally be widely heard, encouraging us to
explore further.
David Hill and his forces provide a first rate performance
and the recording from the Abbey Road Studios, London in 2005 is excellent. The
taped passages are remarkably well integrated into the music.
There are informative booklet notes by the composer and full
English texts.
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