Imaginative Music for Chinese-Speaking Children

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree

DOCTOR OF CREATIVE ARTS

From the UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY

Jean Bunton B.Mus. (Hons)

18th August 2013

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND COMMUNICATION ARTS

Abstract

This thesis aims to explain my personal musical voice, illuminate creative intentions, shed developmental insight on the music theatre compositions, and argue for the positioning of these compositions as a multiplicit subversion of linear educational learning processes towards imaginative eclecticism to engage both children and adults.

Chinese-speaking children and as an escape world for adults. This imaginative journey is explored through my credo principles, historical places that inform it, and an analysis that unpacks its techniques, and concludes with its imaginative and transformative aims.

My credo principles drawn from journeying are, musically: eclectic ideas and imagination, tangential relationships, combinations of elements, harmonic and timbral colour, and organic musical design leading to relentless climaxes; and educationally: textual and lyrical zaniness, juxtaposition between structure and architecture, and moving from scaffolding to simultaneous levels. Donald Schön’s reflection-in-action process has given me insight into indeterminate practice-based situations and the collaborations required. The thesis analyses the three works: The Magic Jungle in terms of colouring and juxtapositional variety; Megan and the eBike, for styles and cultures; and Megan and the eBike Orchestral

Suite, for orchestral colour.

Acknowledgement

Firstly I would like to thank my two supervisors, Dr Bruce Crossman and Associate Professor Diana Blom for their generous support and encouragement in the writing and development of this project. They have provided an endless supply of expertise, ideas for research directions, and practical advice on composition. Although The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike are pieces of music theatre designed for small children both my supervisors were able to envisage what varieties of music would be appropriate for this age group, giving as much thought and detailed planning as would be necessary for an adult audience. Both Dr Crossman and Associate Professor Blom encouraged me to widen my scope as broadly as possible, and in doing so I have learned valuable skills about composing in many different styles. Leanne Nicholls, the Artistic Director of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, was the key instigator in suggesting that I create a piece of music theatre for children, and I would like to thank her for the commission to write The Magic Jungle. Bill Connor, the orchestrator and conductor, has also been a source of expertise and much encouragement. The City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong entered into the spirit of the production with great enthusiasm. I would also like to thank Ella Slack for coming to Hong Kong for the performances and directing the DVD, Peter Hebbes, Kim Ransley of Origin Musicals, Sydney, Erin Rogers and David Abinnanti of Theatrical Rights Worldwide in New York who have all made great contributions getting The Magic Jungle published. Many thanks to Neville Grant who was the original editor of Megan and her ebike, and to Johan Fourie who has helped update the original book with his technological expertise. My thanks to Dr. David Bunton for proof reading the Thesis, and special thanks to Petar Jovanov for his work editing the scores of Megan and the eBike and Megan and the eBike Orchestral Suite. Finally, I would like to thank my children, Marianne, Murray and Daniel for their encouragement, and my husband Wendell White for his constant support.

iii

Statement of Authentication

The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution.

Contents Introduction

Chapter One: Imaginative Music for Chinese-Speaking Children: Educative Purposes, Tangential Thoughts and Compositional Imagination for Children ……….………… 1 Structure ……………………………………………………... 1 Aims of the Writing …………………………………………. 3 Part One: The Process

Chapter Two: My Own Credo: Tangential Thoughts Towards Transformative Compositional Imagination for Children …………………………………………………….. 7 Eight Operating Principles: …………………………………… 8 Musical Imperative Influences ……………………………….. 8 Educative Imperative Influences …………………………….. 38 Transformative Imaginative Aims ……………………………. 51 Credo Summary ………………………………………………. 53

Chapter Three: My Own Story and its Methods: Leading to Imagination for Children ……….…………….... 55 France: French Musical School ………………………………. 57 Scotland: Gaelic Folk Music ………………………………..… 59 Switzerland: Country and Western / Pop……………………… 61 Musical Theatre……………………………………………..… 66 England: Music from the English School …………………...… 65 Explosions of Sound…………………………………………… 72 Hong Kong ……………………………………………………. 73 Australia …………………………………………………….… 77 Traditional Church Music ………………………………..…… 78 Jazz and Blues……………………………………………….… 81 The Educational Imperative including Fantasy Writing…….… 83 Summary ……………………………………………………… 85

Chapter Four: My Creative Process ……………..……..... 86

Stimulation ………………………………………………...… 87 Erratic inspiration …………………………………………… 94 Dialogue: Reflective-Process …………………………….… 105 Risk taking/Stimulation ………………… ………………… 108 Summary ………………………………………………..…… 115 Part Two: The Music

Chapter Five: Analysis - Exploding Hymns ………………. 117

Part 1: The Magic Jungle…………………………………..… 117 Part 2: Megan and the eBike……………………………….… 146 Part 3: Megan and the eBike Suite: Exploding the Hymn through Orchestral Colour ..……………………………….… 177 Summary …………………………………………………..… 188

Conclusion

Chapter Six: Imagination as Transformation: Chinese-Speaking Children and Imaginative Sonic Space .. 190

References ………………………………………………... 195

Glossary of Musical Terms ……………………………….. 212

Appendix 1: Areas of Difficulty for Chinese Speakers…...…………… 213

INTRODUCTION

vii Chapter One: Imaginative Music for Chinese-Speaking Children: Educative Purposes, Tangential Thoughts and Compositional Imagination for Children

I consider that my music theatre compositions are underpinned by a personal creative voice that draws from my imagination and uses a wide scope of colours based on a rich hymn-like harmonic sense and juxtapositional variety within structural levels. This voice also emphasizes sound as a tangential explosion simultaneously subverting linear learning processes. I see this subverting of the linear method, where small amounts of learning are built upon in stages, and the simple into imaginative complexity, as a way of engaging Chinese-speaking children and as an escape world for adults. This imaginative journey is explored through my credo principles, historical places that inform it, and an analysis that unpacks its techniques, and concludes with its imaginative and transformative aims.

Structure

I outline my credo and set out an overview of the compositional techniques I have used in creating two music theatre works for children, The Magic Jungle and

Megan and the eBike, in Chapter Two: Tangential Thoughts Towards Transformative

Musical Imagination for Children. My credo functions by using eight operating principles which fall into two categories, musical and educative. Musically the principles are: eclectic ideas and imagination, tangential relationships, combinations of elements, harmonic and timbral colour, and organic musical design leading to relentless climaxes. Educationally the principles are: textual and lyrical zaniness, juxtaposition between structure and architecture, and moving from scaffolding to simultaneous levels. My overall aim is to use an imaginative, simultaneous multiple-

1 level approach to create words and music which have a joyful zest to attract children and have transformative aims.

I tell something of my own journey in Chapter Three: My Own Story and its

Methods, in order to trace the musical influences which I draw from as a composer. In writing about my personal history and cosmology I intend to show how the two are wholly intertwined. I believe that it is important to extract the musical influences from my historical context so that I can further explain my creative voice. My geographical moves from Europe, to Hong Kong, and finally to Australia, have each provided me with a palette of sounds, cultural reference points, and a rich cosmology from which to draw. I have experienced some sad events in my life, but have found that these too can ultimately enrich the depth of emotion in some of my more poignant compositions. Being a church organist tended to set my music in a rather staid framework of four-part harmony hymn tunes, but many new colourings from jazz and blues have come creeping in and breathed new life and energy into my compositional voice. The magical and extravagant world of music theatre has held a life-long fascination for me because of its escapism and fantasy.

I look at Donald Schön’s writings on artistic cogency in Chapter Four: My

Creative Process and his views on reflective process, and I consider these ideas as a way of making sense of indeterminate practice-based situations which I encounter in composing. I discuss processes of the mind which work through simulation, collaboration and dialogue and explore erratic inspiration and how composers find

‘the spark’ to see whether my own experiences are similar. Through a reflective process I discuss my collaboration with the Leanne Nicholls, the Artistic Director of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, and Bill Connor, the Orchestrator of The

Magic Jungle. Using the process of reflection-in-action has helped to define my

2 creative process in a step by step process. Finally I look at risk taking and the type of stimulation necessary to create any new piece of music.

Analysis of the three works which make up my musical portfolio are discussed in chapter five, Analysis: Exploding Hymns. In particular I look at colouring and juxtapositional variety in The Magic Jungle, styles and cultures in Megan and the eBike and orchestral colour in the orchestral piece, Megan and the eBike Suite.

Aims of the Writing

This thesis does not seek to be a musicologist’s exhaustive analysis of the composition portfolio but rather, as a children’s author and composer, I wish to unfold my composer’s imagination and its sources as a story. I shall use fragments of music to illustrate points, but shall not be taking a purely objective analytical approach.

This thesis aims to explain my personal musical identity and illuminate my intentions and shed developmental insight into my work in creating textual and musical works for children.

I consider that my musical voice emanates from a diverse collection of principles and influences which come from the threads of my life journey and the ways I have reacted to them. The point of view of my writing is to explain my creative-process, and it aims to describe the three compositions in this portfolio: The

Magic Jungle which is a work of musical theatre aimed for an audience of Chinese- speaking children from four to six years old; Megan and the eBike, which is written as a primary school musical; and Megan and the eBike Suite, written for a chamber orchestra. Although the enjoyment of music is the primary aim, the works also seek to educate a young audience.

3 Both The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike were first conceived as language-learning vehicles for Chinese-speaking children learning English, but because my writing and compositional styles often diversify rapidly both pieces have, in the end, gone off at wide tangents. The apparent simplicity of teaching English to

Chinese-speaking children through teaching syllables, listening and imitating the language in ‘digestible bites’ is taken on board musically at first. This educative scaffolding simplicity, appropriate to children’s level of understanding, is subverted through virtuosic complexity sending it into numerous directions. Another motive in writing The Magic Jungle was to help children learn about music and shed light on how a western orchestra works.

My work as an author of children’s books for Chinese-speaking children learning English has also sparked my imagination, and it is this imagination in turn which has led to my compositional works. My aim is to write words and music which will create an imaginative world of sound which is aimed towards engaging a young audience from pre-kindergarten to primary levels. However, I posit that my imagination is like the subversion of the didactic into myriad complex paths.

I believe that imagination is the driver to creativity and this has led to multilayered eclectic changes. A rapid juxtaposition of ideas, density of contrasts, and narrative cogency have created multiple changes and provided variety on structural levels. I describe how this imagination works, even sometimes subconsciously, to produce some kind of new creation whether it is in text or music.

The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike combine textural zaniness, drawing on influences from British children’s authors and their sense of humour, and using educational ideas which are then exploded tangentially. This almost subverts

4 the learning process itself but is carefully crafted towards keeping the attention and imagination of a lively young audience.

I consider that using a wide range of musical styles, with the frivolous interloping on the serious, the jazzy on the ethereal, plus the fantasy elements of the two texts which include magical animals forming an orchestra in the jungle and a computer-controlled eBike that flies around the world, endeavours to engage with young listeners, offering them a complexity of wild expressions of sounds, images and colours.

To begin to explore this creative journey it is necessary to look at the set of guiding principles that underpin the music, creating my own personal musical voice.

6 Chapter 2: My Own Credo: Tangential Thoughts Towards Transformative Compositional Imagination for Children

There can be a sense of sadness and loss in some of my musical work, with harmonic blurring and ambiguity. There is nostalgia for ‘what might have been’ which makes me resonate with the work of other composers and writers who expressed their difficult life experiences through their music. I have always found consolation in music, and my compositions come from harmonies which speak to me personally. I have learnt that music can express emotions that words cannot. This emotion manifests itself through a coloured hymn-like harmonic basis that starts as something simple but multiplies quickly into a layered complexity. I see this music as not only an escape from the world but an imaginative experience for young listeners with transformative connotations from a Christian belief. The backbone of this imaginative music is a personal voice that manifests itself in specific operating principles.

My personal musical voice aims at concentrated variety through various principles towards imaginative sounds for children to hear. The underlying impetus of the personal voice’s imagination is escapism from control and sadness to a zestful imaginative music-theatre world. This voice functions through eight operating principles. These principles in my process break down into two groups: the musical and the educative. Firstly, the musical principles are: eclectic ideas and imagination, tangential relationships, combinations of elements, harmonic and timbral colour, and organic musical design leading to relentless climaxes. Secondly, from the educative side of my personality several principles emerge: textual and lyrical zaniness, juxtaposition between structure and architecture, and moving from scaffolding to

7 simultaneous levels. In this latter principle I aim for easily communicable ideas for children in both language and sound as a type of strict educational ‘scaffolding approach’ to music theatre, which is quickly subverted into a more imaginative, simultaneous multiple-level approach. The overall aim has a transformative notion behind it of imaginative escapism and joyful zest to attract children with rich hymn- like basis associated with Christianity as a type of spiritual uplifting.

Eight Operating Principles

Musical Imperative Influences

1. Eclectic Ideas and Imagination

The sense of musical delight, with the power of producing it, is a gift of the imagination. Coleridge (as cited in Copland, 1952, p. 7)

I consider that every child is born with a sense of imagination. As children we all play, which requires imagination, and we learn to be inventive. We create our own make-believe worlds and explore their originality. Imagination comes from the creative part of the mind and this may then lead to a natural progression into adult life where the imagination has the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, especially of things we have never seen or experienced directly. Educationalist and playwright

David Wright states that imagination can lead to “following intuitive leaps, trusting hunches or feelings and also overcoming the instinct to self-censor and to work with some sort of speculation or ‘make believe’” (Wright, personal communication, June

11, 2008). However, as I have found, action is necessary before imagination becomes creativity, and it is this action which “takes the process of imagination to another level” (Robinson, 2009, p. 67). I have been interested to listen to J. K. Rowling, creative writer of the Harry Potter books written for the same age group as some of

8 my audiences, in her keynote speech at Harvard when she prioritises imagination stating:

Imagination is arguably the most transformative and revelatory capacity: it

is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences

we have never shared. … and is the only uniquely human capacity to

envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and

innovation (Rowling, 2008, p. 67).

My own Imagination: Hong Kong Influences

I believe that there are closely related concepts within imagination which

Singer and Singer describe as being: “fantasy, daydreaming, imaginativeness, imaginative play, creative imagination, and creativity” (Singer & Singer, 2001, p.

122). Out of these, daydreaming is my primary source of inspiration and there can be many cues which trigger it. These might be internal or external. Thoughts, memories and associations, or both, can be perceived as some ‘internal cues’. Memories of the growing cacophony of dragon dance gongs and drumming, from my living experiences in Hong Kong, have sparked a rhythmic energy that manifests internally in my music. ‘External cues’ might be sounds, smells and touch sensations, which can then be turned into reality. Listening to the varied pitch sounds of the Cantonese language while watching young children on the Star Ferry in Hong Kong harbour, and that curious smell of dried fish and diesel-laced humidity of this exciting East and

West collision that is this Fragrant Harbour, spark my musical imagination towards a musical collage to connect to these children. My personal imagination is geared towards creating eclectic ideas which can be used musically and theatrically. When writing text I form images and concepts in my mind, and I do this entirely to entertain

9 myself. Daydreaming, when my mind is unstressed, or middle-of-the-night moments are the most creative times for me.

The twenty-three years I spent living in Hong Kong provided me with many cultural influences. As it is a confluence of many cultures, most notably East Asia meets the West in a former British colony, it has indescribable energy. Because of its small size - an area of 1,104 square kilometers, (Government of Hong Kong, 2011), and its large population - 7.1 million, (Government of Hong Kong, 2011) it has a vibe which I have never found elsewhere. Just walking through the street markets, seeing how the Chinese people are so inventive, hard working, usually uncomplaining, and eager to make sure their own children have a better future than they did, inspires me.

Hong Kong composer Law Wing Fai says of his work that he is naturally closely linked to Hong Kong culture finding inspiration in its energy. Musicologist

Frederick Lau puts Law in a category that emphasises:

Hong Kong’s unique cultural hybridity, contradiction and irreverence. Law

Wing Fai’s music, which is as complicated and probing as Hong Kong’s

fluid, pluralistic and idiosyncratic culture, indirectly interrogates how

Chineseness is calibrated and the way hybridity works within its cultural

context (Lau, 2007, p. 602).

These broad-based Hong Kong influences are used in many ways in The

Magic Jungle as it is geared towards an audience of Chinese-speaking children. I chose to make the central character in the story a monkey, as Chinese children love them. Monkeys are a part of the Chinese zodiac (their attributes being quick witted, fun loving, always cheerful, energetic, and often magical). The Monkey King’s story has been a major part of Chinese culture throughout history (Shepard, 2008, p. 9), and has been made into a famous Chinese Opera (Siu & Lovrick, 1997, p. 56). As such, it seemed the ideal animal to choose as part of the plot. In reflection I can see that my

10 artistic credo uses the materials around me in the same way Law chooses ideas, that is because of their accessibility: “My selection of Chinese cultural elements…is because

I live in Asia” (Law, 2007, p. 596). Yet in my work, as with Law, it is deeper than this; these Chinese cultural elements are a part of my cultural ecology which forms an underlying resonance with self that feeds my work. Frederick Lau notes that for

Law’s music “he was deeply inspired by the energy and dynamism expressed in

Chinese calligraphy and painting” (p. 593) which parallels my literary imagination which itself has some aspects also found in Chinese folklore.

Imagination in Writing Text

Barber describes imagination as the mind in flight “soaring on the wings of memory, emotion, association and perception.” In writing down we ‘see’ what we are imagining (Barber, 2003, p. 2). I believe that the mind has to be in a very relaxed state to ‘see’ the big picture and to focus on the usefulness of articulating vivid images. I have found that it is the ‘large picture’ of a story which has to come before any music; the articulation of this in written form gives me a clarity. Only when the outline of a story is clear to me, do I start thinking of diverse ideas for the text and then the music. I try to see where my imagination might meet the imagination of a young reader of a book, or an audience, and how eclectic music can then be used to underpin the textual narrative. Braheny writes that we can “communicate our realities to one another using a set of mutually agreed-upon words. These words, when spoken and heard, become powerful external cues to the imagination” (Braheny,

1988, p. 38). However, whilst my initial form is a ‘word-based’ articulation of imaginative ideas within my creative mind as in Braheny’s approach, it also broadens out into understood ‘sonic-cues’ eclectically gathered. In short, my approach to

11 imagination is across both words and sounds that have a basis related to the everyday and through this aims to connect to children.

I have kept at the forefront of my mind the need to employ quick-fire wild textual ideas, and varied images to keep with the short attention span of a young audience of children. To create text I have found it easier to speak in an ‘adult’ voice to the ‘child’ within myself. I usually write while speaking the words aloud, because

I find the need to hear the sentences, playing with the order of the words, and hearing their rhythm and tempo. Sometimes a sentence can be elongated to make it more descriptive. Or it could be shortened. I also try to make every word ‘count’ just enough to explain a point, but not so much as to make it boring. This process sometimes leads my imagination on to even quirkier ideas. For example, the economy of sparse nouns and sharply juxtaposed meanings of My life, my chopstick (Bunton and Coates, 1999) create this characteristic quirk in my writing. Speaking to my inner

‘child’ makes me resonate with the thoughts of Palladino when she calls children’s imagination their “innate style of boundless, individualistic, divergent thinking”

(Palladino, 1997, p. xiii).

An essential ingredient in the learning process is the need for story-telling to provide children with models for problem-solving. Bettelheim suggested that “If a child is deprived of fairy tales, he may not be able to invent stories on his own which help him to cope with life’s problems” (Dundes, 1991, p. 75). I consider that it could therefore be argued that children need to feel allowed to learn what it is to be imaginative through story-telling musicals, in order to encourage them to create imaginative worlds of their own to cope with reality. Perhaps in this sense, my creativity has a transformative aim. My personal approach to narrative is to create a

12 quest that the characters embark upon but contain a mischievous punning quality aimed at engaging the ‘naughty/curious’ side of children.

Imagination in Writing Music

Just as the quick juxtapositional puns of my writing are aimed to engage children, my music also uses a quick-fire eclectic technique as its basis. This could be explained as a musical strategy, as in my writing, to engage the young audiences with short attention spans through quick-fire imaginative eclectic range of musical styles from the known canon both classical and popular. The warm colour moment harmonies characteristic of the French school “attempted to give music a more improvisatory character with subtle and understated coloristic effects” (Hays, 1997). I frequently use intervals of sevenths and of dominant major ninths, which are also found in the nostalgic strains of Cantopop pop1. Ravel, describing characteristic features of his music, said, “There are rules for making a building hold up, but none for linking modulations together. Yes, only one – inspiration.” (Landormy and

Wager, 1939, p. 434) Music from the French school is often based on fragments on the whole tone scale, Lydian mode and the diatonic scale, to form dissonant colouring of the triads (see Example 2.1). Diatonic, as defined by Drabkin in Grove Music

Online, is:

Based on or derivable from an octave of seven notes in a particular

configuration, as opposed to Chromatic and other forms of Scale. A seven-

note scale is said to be diatonic when its octave span is filled by five tones

and two semitones, with the semitones maximally separated, for example

1 Cantopop evolved in the early 1970s because of the demand from audiences in Hong Kong for songs in their own Cantonese dialect (Ho, 2003, p.146). Often in Cantopop the romantic colour harmonies underpin the crooning melodic lines.

13 the major scale (T–T–S–T–T–T–S). The natural minor scale and the church

modes … are also diatonic” (Drabkin).

This strategy is borrowed from Debussy’s highly personal harmonic language, which Reti describes as containing frequent use of parallel chords, bitonality, or at least bitonal chords, use of whole tone and pentatonic scale, unprepared modulations

“without any harmonic bridge”. He describes Debussy’s music (Reti, 1958, p. 108) with the words “it has a tendency, an approximation which cannot be refined by a rigid system or set of rules but can be made comprehensible only by describing its nature and effect.” (Reti, 1958, p. 395). I tried to emulate the colouristic arrangements of whole-tone as single colour entities which are a continuation of the

French school’s sensuous sound colour approach (mentioned on page 13). This is shown in the “Oboe Theme” in The Magic Jungle (Example 2.1) where whole-tone conglomerations are chromatically juxtaposed and final tonalities are left unresolved.

Debussy inseparably binds modality and tonality. Although French music had never lost its variety of modes, Debussy extended and revitalized their range and tonal potential, developing the explorations of Chabrier and Russian composers and the different modal languages of Asian music (Orledge, 1981, p. 15). Following

Debussy’s lead in combining European single colour-sonority entities with East-Asian modality, I found a way of harmonically connecting in my music with the East-West cultural collision I felt via Hong Kong harbour.

14 2

13 Oboe Theme 128

13 œ. œ œ œ Ob. b w Ó Œ 3 œ. œ. œ œ œ & b œ 2 œ. 3 œ F f P 13 b 3 œ. œ. œ œ œ œ & b w w Œ œ 2 œ œ . œ . œœ. œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ ww ww œœ œœ. œœ. . 3 œ œ œ œ Pno. ! p P p ˙ w ˙. ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ? bb w ˙. œ 23 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙

17 œ œ. œ œ. œ. œ Ob. b Œ œ. œ. 2 9 ‰ 3 & b w œ œ. 4 8 4 F f 17 œ b . œ. œ œ œ. œ. œ. & b w Œ œ. œ. œ. 42 œ œ 89 œ œ œ œ. œ. 43 ww œ œ. œ. . Pno. F ˙ œ. œ. œ. ˙ ˙ œ œ œœ. œœ. œœ. ? b œ œ j 2 ˙ 9 . . 3 b œ œ œ ˙. ˙ 4 8 4

Example 2.1: The Magic Jungle “Oboe Theme” (bars 21-24) —Coloured Triads.

21 œ >œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ w œ Ob. b 3 3 Œ Œ & b 4 3 2 3 3 F 3 21 3 3 œ ˙ œ ˙ b œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ w œ œ b 3 œ œ œ œ 3 ˙ Œ œ ˙ œ ˙ ˙ w œ & 4 œ 3 2 ˙ œ œ œ ˙ w œ Pno. P œ. œ. ˙ œ. œ. ˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙˙ w ? bb 43 23 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w Ó

Other Eclectic Ideas

I also included jazz, blues, rap, military march, and dance rhythms. In Megan and the eBike I have used a ‘technology motif’ which occurs every time the eBike takes off. A jazzy song, such as ‘Technology’a (from Megan and the eBike) can be abruptly interrupted by the textural change of the ‘technology motif’ with the orchestra flying into a frenzy of ascending semiquavers, all of which appear without any prior warning, as if the orchestra is a ‘sonic computer’ with ‘beeps’ and

‘whirrings’ accompanied by a varied collection of percussion, as the sonic equivalent to metal parts of bicycle action (see Example 2.2).

Example 2.2: Megan and the eBike, ‘technology motif’ (bars 88-104)—using the orchestra as a sonic computer.

15 In summary, the use of eclectism is my first operating principle for composition. In this sense I follow in the tradition of American composer Stephen

Sondheim’s music theatre. Steve Swayne writes that “Sondheim has freely acknowledged his eclecticism, seeing in it neither a curse nor a blessing but a fact of his creative life” (Swayne, 2005, p. 325).

2. Tangential Relationships

Before he decided to break the rules, Sondheim certainly studied them. (Cauley, 2007, p. 6)

Creative Architecture and Tangential Relationships

The first essential element in writing a piece of musical theatre for children is the length of the story, to make sure that it was just long enough to hold their attention, but not so long that they would become bored. The actual mapping out and writing of the story itself came next, and it was vital to make sure that the climaxes in the story came at appropriate points. Whilst composing The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike it was important to adhere to macro plans, or overall creative architectures, so that balance was maintained in the whole story and music and to provide a sense of unity for each of the pieces. It then became possible to see where a song was needed and where text could be placed. On a microcosmic level each song was also planned with its own vocal climaxes.

However, my ‘scaffolding approach’ (which I shall explain further on page

47) of using the simplicity of digestible sound-bites for a child listener is often made complex through the use of various compositional devices. ‘Into the Storm’, for example, is suddenly made complex through a Wagnerian-type motif elaboration beyond simple non-developmental strophic statements. This can be seen in The Magic

Jungle with the simple diatonic quaver motion gradually elaborating into a

16 demisemiquaver chromatic fury wildly complicating the quiet fragment to suggest the dramatic idea of ‘the storm’ (see Example 2.3).

Example 2.3: The Magic Jungle, ‘Into the Storm’ (bars 88-104)—Simple to Wild Storm Tangent.

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21 ; ; ' 7 7 :' ! ; ' * ' 7 # ) ' * ' ' ' ' ;'' '' '' ' ' ' : 3 3 ' ' '; ' '7 ' ' '; ' '7 ' ' ' ' ' ' . > - :6 3 3 > " ; ; ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 7 7 # ) ; ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 7 ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '; ' ' '7 ' ' '; ' ' '7 ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 3$4

My motif development technique within music-theatre was inspired by

Wagner’s use of leitmotif and harmony in Tristan and Isolde as a means of storytelling. It is as if motif growth pushes the story onwards creating statements.

17 The music and the drama are interactive. Bell and Chicurel put it this way:

“Exposition, rise in conflict, climax, and resolution tie musical composition to principles of storytelling” (Bell & Chicurel, 2008, p. 24). Weiner quotes Friedrich

Nietzsche, writing of

’monstrousness’ and the power of Wagner’s ‘seductive force,’

characterized the composer five years after Wagner’s death as a

‘magne´tiseur,’ a ‘master of hypnotic tricks’ whose works begin with

‘hallucination,’ implying that the composer mystified, and thereby held in

rapt attention, his listening audience. Nietzsche went on to describe

Wagner’s works as what today we would call ‘nerve agents’ capable of

stimulating, titillating, and seducing through the senses (Wiener, 2007, p.

217).

Sondheim’s Songs

Sondheim believes that every song should move the plot forward. Audiences have complained that they left the theatre after a Sondheim show without a melody to hum, but Sondheim’s reply is that the development of songs is much more important than a constant repetition of one song. Zadan, writing about Sondheim, states “The old masters knew this. See any old show and notice the number of reprises. Steve does not like reprises. To him the song is a story in itself … to him, it's important that a score be not just a series of songs - that it should in some way be developed, just the way [a show's] book is" (Zadan, 1974, p. 251). Sondheim, in an interview with Gross

(2010), recalled being at the intermission of A Little Night Music when it was first performed and hearing somebody say;

That “Weekend in the Country” is such a catchy tune – very few people

accuse me of writing catchy tunes! Well of course it was a catchy tune

… she had just heard eleven choruses of it! The whole thing about

humability is familiarity – if you hear a tune enough times you’ll hum

18 it. I’ve sometimes said that ‘familiarity breeds content’. The whole

problem is that you might go into the theatre humming! If you can hum

a tune easily on first hearing, it is more than likely it reminds you of

something else (Gross, 2010).

However, Sondheim changed this structure in Into The Woods. In the first act he used a series of sixteen scenes, each one having its own music, but having the ‘Into the Woods’ tune threading them all together (Zadan, 1974, p. 340).

Tangential Variety

The varied musical influences I have had in my life have meant that I have had the benefit of a wide range of musical styles from which to choose. For example, if there is a deliberately slow or poignant piece of music I try to reinvigorate the next. I also tend towards using the shock factor of the imagination whether in text or music.

For example, when the eBike leaves earth’s atmosphere for a short time and Ben says

“Now, you're going into space for a few seconds. Take a deep breath Megan, and hold on tight.” There is the rather eerie sound of an oboe ‘holding on’ with a high pitched single note, along with a didjeridu which represents ‘home’ (Megan and the eBike, “Setting off for Europe” bar 78).

I have also used tangential diversity in the variety of songs, usually putting in more ‘up-beat’ songs to suit the tastes of the audience of children. “Jogging in the

Jungle”, (see Example 2.4) with its absurd lyrics, was placed near to the beginning of

The Magic Jungle just to make sure the audience kept responding, and so that there was not too much text which might be difficult to understand. Whilst there is still a macro plan, the production was kept ‘alive’ by adding variety to the development of the story, and constant changes of musical styles, which is a point I develop in more depth in the analysis chapter.

19 [Composer]

Example 2.4: The Magic Jungle, ‘Jogging in the Jungle’ (bars 8-11)—Juxtaposition of structure to ensure variety between songs.

Tenor

Jog-- ging in the jungle. You know what that means? Put on your jack-- et, your jum per, and your jeans.

Piano

5 T Hersch writes that Sondheim “constructs his scores to meet the specific

5 requirement of each libretto. His variety of musical mood and style is indeed

Pno. prodigious” (Hirsch, 1989, p. 75). Sondheim himself says that he found his voice

writing "musicals that startled people… I'm a great audience. I cry very easily. I

suspend disbelief in two seconds” (Brockes, 2010, p. 10).

Although Lloyd Webber, in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour

Dreamcoat, uses one Biblical story, each song diverts from the main plot, moving in

completely different stylistic directions. He makes use of his many modern music

influences, and it is not difficult to tell which style has inspired each song, such as the

‘Go, Go, Go Joseph’ with its disco rhythms; ‘One More Angel in Heaven’ with its

country music feel, even with the mock harmonica, and sometimes fake American

accents, leading into a hoedown. All these diversions have made the story come to

life and because the musical was written specially for a school choir as a fifteen-

minute production, it was directed towards their musical tastes, and those of the

audience of teenagers. This musical, which is now a two-hour show, has now been

performed by 20,000 schools in the UK because, as Lloyd Webber has said, it was

20 written specifically for the age group for which it was intended (The Really Useful

Website).

Humour towards Tangential Variety

My music is not only sonically eclectic, but also draws on theatrical visual ideas about humour to inspire it. I appreciate the subtleties of British humour which have been described as “using metaphors, puns, understatement, juxtaposition, irony, satire, ambiguity, contradiction, allusion, parody, the use of the nonsensical, and the ability to laugh about oneself” (Landy, 2005, p. 14). The only way to make jokes in another language is to have a great knowledge of the culture. Jokes made in English can easily fall flat on Chinese ears, and from experience, it is better not to try verbal humour in Hong Kong. There is a type of nonsensical British visual humour, an example of which was portrayed in Monty Python’s Flying Circus (Landy, 2005, p.

14) by John Cleese in his “Ministry of Silly Walks”, which seems to cross the language barrier. A favorite comedy in Hong Kong is the Mr Bean series. There are no words, just a foreigner making a fool of himself. The Mr Bean’s Holiday film topped Hong Kong's box office for two weeks after going on screen in early April

2011 and was screened in China that summer (China Daily, 2011). I chose to use this same type of visual humour in the staging of my music, making the narrator in The

Magic Jungle a foreigner lost in the jungle, wearing typical ‘British explorer’ clothes, complete with a pith helmet. I used visual humour as much as possible, with the conductor being dressed as a lion and all of the orchestra with their faces painted as animals.

This British-style visual humour is translated into musical gestures with associations which are re-contextualised into my music to create humour. For example, in the Magic Jungle the animals suddenly broke into a glorious and well

21 known piece of Mozart (see Example 2.5) just a moment after they have learned how to tune their instruments—it was of course an impossibility to learn the music that quickly. The children in the audience did not understand the complexities of the jarring music-association reference and rudimentary musicianship skills, but their parents certainly did.

Example 2.5: The Magic Jungle, ‘The Next Morning’ (bars 86-89)—Mozart’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ K.525—humour within the music towards tangential variety.

Textual zaniness, I have found, is a catalyst towards musical diversity. One aspect about my work, following the Monty Python model, is that the text tends to take illogical leaps, with tangential ideas usually included because of the use of humour. Large contrasts are used to create humour, such as an eBike circling the globe within three minutes. I researched information from a ten-year-old boy (the same age as Ben in Megan and the eBike) to find out what his age group might know about technology. He answered:

The eBike could be programmed to send up fireworks and plasma flares

(tracked by my computer) so I can find it when there is trouble. If there is a

malfunction in the bike I can get … a computer virus destroyer system to

hack into the ebike’s circuits to get rid of the bug. If the bike suddenly has to

land it should switch the braking system from external to internal, so that

22 the rockets can lose power quietly and efficiently. (Langbein, personal

communication, 2010)

For good measure he also told me that the concept behind the song “Count the

Stars” was unscientific, “because some stars are dying every moment, whilst others are being formed! Didn’t you know that?” I stood corrected.

I draw on this textual zaniness to act as a catalyst to provide a musical equivalent. There were moments of pure musical humour, such as the loud and unexpected orchestral tutti (bar 34 in ‘Ending’) and just before the final ‘The Magic

Jungle’ song to wake everybody up and make sure the audience listened to the last line of dialogue.

I believe that humour aids learning, and, as Powell and Andresen note, can increase interest and attention in what is being taught (Powell and Andresen, 1985, pp. 79-90). I kept in mind the fact that children laugh at other people’s minor misfortunes, clumsy accidents caused by awkwardness, inexperience, stupidity, or simply bad luck, all of which lead to “damage or considerable confusion” (Neuß,

2006, p. 8).

3. Combinations of Elements

Formulaic Patterns of Musicals Combined with ‘Hooks’

Whilst I use visual humour particularly relevant to crossing the language issues of cross-cultural engagement with Chinese children, I have also looked at more generic forms of engagement through formulaic patterns combining a variety of songs and music in a musical which has been developed over the years. Novak defines the types of songs in a musical and their usual order and this provided a useful guide

(Novak, 1988, p 17). These formulae include a rousing chorus, a slow lyrical song, and a humorous speech patter song. I also developed more quick-fire techniques to

23 suit an audience of children. This quick-fire approach (which I shall refer to later in the analysis section) includes sequential song compilations with no recitative speech narrative in between. In my creative process I used elements of the musical formulaic variety and quick-fire flow as a guide to architecture, but also included narrative novelty ‘hooks’ to draw in the audience.

Many lyricists and composers have written about the way to keep an audience’s attention. Bill Connor, before he orchestrated The Magic Jungle, said “I can tell just by looking at a score what is going to work with an audience of children”

(Connor, personal communication, August 26, 2007). Oscar Hammerstein has been quoted as saying that the first song is what makes or breaks a show. George Abbott, a

Broadway director, thought differently and was able to put on the musical High

Button Shoes (1947) with only eighteen pages of script. He “made up the rest as he went along”. His motto was “forget Art; does it work?” He believed that the vital test of a musical was the audience reaction (Steyn, 2000, p. 4). I apply this to my own work in that I draw on Connor’s practical knowledge and my own experience in writing children’s books to provide the formulaic and attention-grabbing moments but also apply scholarly research for structural, harmonic and language depth.

In Megan and the eBike I used a narrative device of a birthday party for

‘Megan’s Birthday Song’ (see Example 2.6), as the ‘hook’ for Megan to get her birthday gift – a bicycle. Parties are such exciting events for children and therefore engage their interest within a narrative. This narrative ‘hook’ is strengthened by a music association technique. The first and third lines of ‘Megan’s Birthday Song’ which use my own music, are interrupted by the first and second phrases of the song

‘Happy Birthday to You’. I have juxtaposed these tunes because of the intense excitement that children feel about their birthdays which is triggered by hearing the

24 ‘Happy Birthday to You’ song. This music-association technique is intended to draw the child audience in to identify with the birthday child. The opening phrase, initially in D major, is then repeated a semitone higher, in the key of Eb major, to increase excitement. The lyrics “I will be eight” are used emphatically before the next line of

‘Happy Birthday to You’. To add to the musical mood of a party, it is followed by the whole orchestra counting the candles on her cake, and a balloon being burst to add to the cacophony. Thus the birthday ‘hook’ is worked extensively through music- association, chromatic ascent and speech-association to connect to the child audience.

Example 2.6: Megan and the eBike, ‘Megan’s Birthday Song’ (bars 2-14)—a ‘hook’ to keep children interested.

25 Score [Title] [Subtitle] [Composer] [Arranger]

Soprano # j n b & # 4 œ œ œ ˙ Ó ! nb b Ó Œ œ œ I can hard-lyœ. wait. In a

Emphatically # n # 4 j ! nbbb Ó œ & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œœ. œ œ˙ œ Œ Ó œ œ œ œ Piano œ œ ƒ F j j j œ ? # 4 œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ n œ. œ œ. œ # 4 œ œ œ nbb œ. J w w [tubularœ. bells]œ œ b J

5 ƒ S b œ >. n # & b b œ œ. Œ œ œ œ œ œ. Œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ n n # fewJ days it will be my birthJ -day I will be eight.

5 j # bbb œ œ œ œ œœ œnœ œ œœ n˙. Œ nnn # & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ. œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. Pno. - - - > j ƒ œ œ wœ œ. œ - - - bn˙>˙ j ? b . œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ. œ n ## b b w ˙ œ œ œ œ n ˙ n n [tubularœ. œbells]

9 ORCHESTRA

S # & # ! 42 ! 4 ONE,¿ TWO,¿ THREE,¿ FOUR,¿ FIVE,¿ SIX,¿ SEVEN,¿ EIGHT..¿

9 [cymbals] ## ! 2 ! 4 & 4 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Pno. f ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ? # œ œ œ 2 ˙ 4 # œ 4 4 [timpani] œ œ œ œ ˙

In The Magic Jungle I used several narrative ‘hooks’ at the start of the © musical: two children and a box with a monkey inside it, as a means of getting the

audience’s full attention and to help them live into the story. I used movement

through rapidly ascending arpeggios and a drum roll before the monkey somersaulted

out of the box as a way of increasing the suspense (see Example 2.7). This was

followed by a short introduction into the up-beat opening song ‘Living in the Magic

Jungle’, which drew influences from Cantopop. In other words, formulaic musical

and narrative conventions were used as a strategy to engage children.

26 Example 2.7: The Magic Jungle, Introduction (bars 66 to 44) to ‘Living in the Magic Jungle’ - The opening song … “which could make or break a show” (Oscar Hammerstein II).

ROSIE TIM Look! It's a monkey! A monkey? Tenor ! # ' ' $ * * ( ( *( ( ( ( ( (* ( ( ( ( ( ( () ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (( ( (( ( ( " # ( ( () () ( ( ( ( ( () Piano % & &+ ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( )( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( , " # ))( ( ( ( ( (

NARRATOR TIM Yes, it was a real, live monkey. [spoken] Who are you? The monkey climbed out of the Where have you come from? 3 % 3 box and looked around. 1 T 1 (1 ( ! ' ' ' 0 ( MAX [sing] My name is 3 * 3 ' ' ' ( ( " ( ( 2 ( ( ( 1( 1 1 Pno. . / 1 1 1 , ( ------0 ( (3

3 7 * * *3 ( ( ( ( *( *( (8 ( ( ( ( ( T ( 7 (8 ! 4 7 5 0 Max and I come from the magic jung--- le, the mag ic jung le. 3 7 * ( *( * * * ( () () () (6 ( ( (8 9 (8 ( ( ( ( ( ( " ( ( 5 ( ( ( ( (8 (( (8 5 ( ( ( ( ))( 7 ( (8 ( (1 Pno. ( ( ( () () ( (6 ( 1( ( ( *( ( ( ( ( , )( ( () 5 ( ( ( 3 ( ( () ( 3 ( " * * * ( (1

Leitmotif

Another stock convention that I use in my music theatre work is the

Wagnerian technique of leitmotif—which Whittall, in Oxford Music Online, describes as a “primary sense, a theme, or other coherent musical idea, clearly defined so as to retain its identity if modified on subsequent appearances, whose purpose is to represent or symbolise a person, object, place, idea, state of mind, supernatural force or any other ingredient in a dramatic work” (Whittall, 2012). I use leitmotif not so much as a tendency towards serious dramatic import as in

27 Wagner, but in The Magic Jungle, as a lighter more humorous device associated with animals that children relate to.

In The Magic Jungle each instrument was linked with an animal, not just for amusement, but as a means of helping the children remember the sounds. Eclectic ideas and imagination such as elephants playing the bass led to ‘Elephants Thud’ (see

Example 2.8) which brought out characteristics in the music, such as the 5/4 rhythm and the awkward heavy, plodding musical feel, as well as the singer’s part deliberately written in a low tessitura to explore the thickness of the voice in deep register. 44

Example 2.8: The Magic Jungle, ‘Elephants Thud’ (bars 1 - 3)—The didactic idea49 of linking each instrument with an animal. 5 Elephants

Plodding { q = 95} F Narrator b 5 Ó Œ Ó Ó Œ Ó & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ El - e - phants thud,> thud,> thud.>

& b 45 Ó Œ Ó Œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ bœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ Piano œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ F > P > > > > ? 5 > > > œ > > > > b 4 œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Combination of Orchestral Sounds

Following on from the concept of leitmotif connection to sound, is the development 4of large scale musical gesturesP anchored to theF moment3 of textual drama Nar. > > > 2 5 & b œ œ œ œ 4 4 œ b˙. drawing on BritishThud-ding composerin the mud,œ mud, œ Benjaminmud.œ Elœ Britten’s- œe - œphants œ synchronizedthudœ -ding œa - long. gestures, Oliver

3 Knussen’s colourfulb undiluted integrity, 2and Andrew Lloyd5 Webber’s popular music & bœ œ œ 4 4 œ bb˙˙. œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœœ œœ œœ œœ bœ œ ˙˙. Pn. > > > œ œ œ œ formula as models. F > > > ? œ œ œ 2 bœ 5 bœ b˙. b œ œ 4 4 bb˙. Britten uses an eclecticœ œ varietyœ œ of sounds in Noye’sœ Fluddeœ . At the point when

God promises never to bring another flood there is a

28 forcefully determined musical point which encapsulates the whole action in

one shattering musico-linguistic gesture. The promise is a kind of acoustic

miracle wrought by the appearance in Britten’s score of handbells. This

brilliant metallic shock of their peel here mollifies the voice of an angry,

destroying God who earlier speaks only in thundering tones (and drum rolls).

(Ruppreckt, 2001, p. 23)

I draw on this approach as a principle of large colour moments married directly to dramatic tensions, not as indirect associations away from the dramatic moment.

I have also been fascinated by Oliver Knussen’s colourful use of orchestration in setting extracts of Maurice Sendak’s highly imaginative children’s book Where the

Wild Things Are. In the compact disc notes Knussen acknowledges his debt in the score to Mussorgsky and Debussy, whom he identifies as being especially astute with writing for children without patronizing them. He writes, "My intention, then, was not to dilute my own musical speech to write a children's opera, but simply to respond to the subject as immediately, as colourfully as I knew how" (Bodmer, 1992). I draw on Knussen’s musical integrity here as a principle of full French-style colour harmony expressed orchestrally to excite children, and not a diluted tonal chromaticism.

The musical influences, or elements, in Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ

Superstar are a taken from rock, show music, pop, and semi classics. Although Lloyd

Webber has been accused by music critic Michael Walsh of “borrowings” saying:

the Grieg Piano Concerto provided an instrumental theme symbolizing Judas’s

betrayal, a lick from Carl Orff’s Carmina Buranda made a fleeting appearance in

the Gethsemane scene, and the ominous trudge of Prokofiev’s ‘Battle on the Ice’

from Alexander Nevsky materialized as well. (Citron, 2001, p. 149)

Lloyd Webber has said that it is true in the work of any composer, that there are ‘borrowings’ because there are only so many notes on the piano which can be used harmonically, and only so many styles and rhythmic choices, so that there is

29 always a possibility of copying from other works, even if it is subconsciously. What I take from this is that ‘conscious borrowings’ can be used as a combination of

‘musical hooks’ to engage children.

4 Types of Colourings Leading to Orchestral Colour

This music is exquisitely rich and attuned to the full spectrum of color that is so important to Messiaen’s idiom. (Eichler, 2003)

Interval-Colour to Texture

Interval-colour within tonal chords as richness within my musical flow is important as is its translation into orchestral timbre. It was not always this way, but through first encountering Messiaen’s music whilst playing the organ at a church, and studying more about it in Twentieth Century Harmony classes at University; it opened my mind to new possibilities of colour.

After looking at the main principles which Messiaen used in his compositions,

I have seen that the simple harmonies and regular common and triple time rhythms I once used are lacking in interval-colour variety and repetitive to a listener. My usual method of composition needed a thorough shake up. Interval-colouring of music would presumably not be appropriate for an audience of young children in every song or piece of music due to the overwhelming complexity for a young listener; however I have tried to be more experimental in my writing as short moments of intense colour can fit with a child’s attention span. This interval-colour intensity is enhanced by textural colours.

One approach in using interval-colour and textural colouring is the use of word painting towards generating a variety of colours. To represent ‘rain’ (in ‘Into the Storm’ in The Magic Jungle, bars 74 to 79) I have used the soft whole-tone quality

30 12 - Into the Storm 112

67 [horn] Nar. & ˙. œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ! [spoken] As they were walking to where the snake lived the sky grew darker and darker.

67 j j œ œ #œ & œ ‰ . œ bœ œ. œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ. œ œ bœ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ bœ #œ œ œ Pno. œ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ? ‰ bœ . ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J . J J ...... J. ﬂ ......

Nar. Œ Œ ˙ ˙ #˙ œ Œ Ó # 6 & œ œ ˙ # 8

70 of Chinese pentatonism, combining the velvet timbres of flute with a rain-stick œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ j ## 6 & œ œ œœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰œ. ‰ œ ‰ œ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ Œ j‰ Œ Ó 8 atmosphere,œ andœ œveryœ œ quiet#œ staccato. . notes on œ.a piano,œ. #œ to whichœ. the orchestrator also Pno. . . added transientbœ. .sounds of xylophone. bœ. œ and#œ. harp.. I varied the rhythm to give a sense of ? ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ‰ œ. ‰ j‰ ‰ Œ Œ # 6 J œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ # 8 unpredictabilityœ ﬂ with. the overall pentatonic colour wash. suggestingœ œ. rain (see 2.9).œ J. " Example 2.9: The Magic Jungle, ‘Into the Storm’ (bars 74 to 79)—Pentatonic theme representing rain as an example of word painting.

[flute] NARRATOR 74 Pœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Nar. # 6 œ œ œ œ 7 J J J J J J J 6 J 7 & # 8 Œ J Œ 8 8 ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ 8 [spoken] It started to rain. 74

## 6 œ. œ œ. œ œ œ.œ œ. œ œ 7 ˙.œ œ œ œ œ 6 œ.œ œ. œ œ œ.œ œ. œ œ 7 & Messiaen8 ‰ œ used ‰ sevenœ specific8 ‰ modesJ œ J inJ J hisJ harmonic8 ‰ œ colouring‰ œ which he8 J Pno. ! referred to as “Technique de mon Langage Musicale”.j j j Walker describes a few more œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ j œ œ œ j j ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ? # 6 œ œ œ 7 œ œ 6 œ œ œ œ 7 facets# of8 the‰ œcolour˙ that ˙Messiaen. felt8 he˙ .could ‘see’:œ 8 ˙. ˙. 8 œ ("The) term ‘limited transposition’ is the composer’s own, and he created a

whole system applying to the symmetrical properties of each mode of which

the original pitch-class content is replicated if the mode is transposed

beyond the limiting levels which classify it. The initial pitches are not

intended to be tonics or finals: no pitch class takes precedence over any

other in this respect, and the modes can begin on any degree or their pitch

classes appear in any order. (Walker, 1989, p. 159)

Following Messiaen, but in a totally different genre, I have applied a concept

of musical colour on a microcosmic level as jazz-style interval-colour harmonies in

some songs to provide a variety of colouring. There are chords arranged vertically in

major or minor thirds, and added intervals such as ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths.

‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ (see Example 2.10) also uses the ‘rap’ technique of rough

spoken vocals and gritty saxophone to give timbre variety to complement its

underlying ninth and eleventh interval-colours. The piece also has some unusual

chord changes which create juxtapositional colour change. Starting in the key of F

31 major it passes through the chord of Ab7 (the V of Db) in bar 32 to the key of Db 3 major in bar 33. This key change is used to make the piece more interesting, and

through chromatic key changes it forms an unusual progression which the listeners’

ears might not have expected by moving from no accidentals to suddenly four flats.

At bar40 47 the key changes back into F major although the sudden key change makes œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ Alto Sax. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b Œ J ‰ Œ J ‰ œ Œ Œ ‰ J ‰ Œ Œ ‰ J the listenerf feel that the key has ‘gone up’ again. These jazz harmonies in ‘Snap, f Nar b b ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ j j j Crocodile,&[Snapb b arms together]Snap’Œ will be ‰analysed¿ Œ inÓ chapter fiveÓ but itŒ is ¿sufficient¿ ¿ to say¿ ¿here¿ that¿ ¿ Œ Œ ‰ ¿ Snap, croc - o - dile,J snap! We're do - ing the croc - o - dile rap Jump ˙ ˙ ˙˙ œ chromaticb b ˙ shifts and˙ vertical colourings˙ ˙ are a strategyn˙˙ to˙ engage the˙˙ listeners’n˙ ˙interest. n ˙ œœ j & b b ˙˙ b˙˙ ˙˙ b˙˙ ˙ ˙˙ ‰ œ Pno. f

w w w w w ? bbbb w w w w w

45 œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ. œ- œ. œ- œ. œ bœ œ Alto Sax. œ œ œ œ œ œ & b Œ Œ ‰ J

Nar b j & b bb ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ out of your skin, and let's be gin- - - to jump to the rhy - thm of the croc - o - dile rap, and

b œ œ œ j œ œ œ b œ œ & b bb œ œ Œ œ œœ œ œ Œ ‰ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ nœœ Pno. bw bw bw bw w w w ? b b w w w w Exampleb b 2.10: The Magic Jungle, ‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ (bars 49-51) — jazz harmonies.

49 ˙ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ Alto Sax. œ œ œ bœ œ & b Œ Ó œ ƒ f f ƒ Nar b & b bb ¿ Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ Ó ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ snap, croc - o - dile, snap! Snap, snap, croc - o - dile, snap, snap, croc - o - dile,

˙ bœ œ bœœ œœ œœ œ bb b n˙˙ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b n ˙ œ œ œ œ œ bœ. œ œ Pno. ƒ F #˙ bœ œ bœ bœ œ œ ? b b # ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ b b œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ

53 > œ˘ Alto Sax. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ## œ œ Timbreb and Texturalœ Colouring3 of Accompaniments Ó Œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ œ œ œ ‰ & œ œ 3 J J ƒ f F Nar b bAllied to this interval-colour principle in my work is its extension into j & b b ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ [Snapb arms¿ together]Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ Œ Ó Snap to the croc -o - dile,- - croc - o- - dile - rap! - - Snap, - croc -- o - dile, - snap!- - - different orchestral colours and their cultural associations as well as its interpretation œ œ bbbb œ œ. œœ œ Œ Œ b & œ. nbœ œ nœœ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ Pno. œ- ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ f ? œ œ bœ œ œ œ w 32 w bbbb œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ w w as texture. The principle herein is that interval-sonority suggests timbre colour in my music. An approach I take is that the sonic colour of the intervals translates into textural colour. Whilst at first I found Sondheim’s harmonies and progressions difficult to identify, listening to his music (repeatedly in some cases) has attuned my ear to some of his rich chromatic moments. Banfield writes that Sondheim’s musical language, in which melody and harmony are closely argued, “retains strong affinities with Ravel and Copland, while making sophisticated use of jazz and dance idioms; it is intensely personal, often bittersweet, in its expression” (Banfield, Oxford Music

Online, 2008). He describes his most famous song, ‘Send in the Clowns’ (see

Example 2.11) as a very deliberate Rachmaninoff imitation of a rhapsody (Sweyn,

2005, p. 24).

Score

Example 2.11: ‘Send in the Clowns’ (bars 1 to 6) — Sondheim’s harmonies influenced by a Rachmaninoff rhapsody.

Send in the Clowns [Composer] Music and Lyrics Stephen Sondheim

Lento Ab/Eb Eb Ebsus Eb Ebmaj7 b 12 ...... 9 & b b 8 Œ Œ Œ œ œ. Œ Œ œ œ. Œ Œ œ œ œ 8 Isnœ -œt it rich? Areœ weœ a pair? Me here at

E A sus9 A 6 B /E A /E 4 b b b b b b b b 9 12 . . . . & b b 8 œ œ œ œ. œ œ 8 Œ Œ œ Œ Œ last on the ground, you in midœ air.œ. Sendœ in theœ clowns˙.

7 Don Walker has described the process of orchestrating Sondheim’s music: b ...... & b b Œ Œ Œ œ œ. Œ Œ œ œ. Œ Œ œ œ œ “Company was especially difficultœIsn't œ it bliss?because everyDon'tœ songyouœ hadap - prove?to have a newOne stylewho createdkeeps

10 b 6 & b b ! ! ! ! 8 ! 33

© Jean Bunton, 2009 for it. This is because Sondheim uses difficult intervals and sometimes he gets into some pretty tricky harmony, pretty dissonant harmony” (Zadan, 1976, p.155). In other words, there is a distinctive pitch colour that requires a distinctive orchestral response, which is something that I found in my own collaborative relations in music theatre.

Bill Connor’s orchestration of The Magic Jungle uses many different lush and rich orchestral techniques to bring out the rich interval-colours where sonority is used as pure moments of colour. He has responded by using a unique style for each of the seventeen sections of music and their distinctive harmonic colours. The climax of

‘Into the Storm’, (bars 118 to 150) for example, used strings, clarinets, brass, percussion and the special effect of palm clusters on the synthesizer. Apart from studying scores of many different orchestrations from Bernstein, and Vivaldi to

Debussy and jazz, I have also studied Connor’s use of instrumentation and techniques to inform my orchestration of Megan and the eBike Suite. The final climax in my orchestration of ‘Typhoon’ (see Example 3.9 on page 71 bars 139 to 142) shows the full orchestra with each instrument extended to its utmost volume to give a rich timbral colour. The pipe organ playing fortissimo provides a volume of sound influenced by Saint-Saëns Symphonie n°3 "avec orgue" (Saint-Saëns , 1886).

5 Organic Musical Design Leading to Relentless Climaxes

Write music like Wagner, only louder Samuel Goldwyn (as cited in Smith, 1978, p. 222)

Organic Motif Design

Just as distinctive interval colours are important to establish richness and character in my music, so too, cellular motif design is important. Motif structure is a

34 feature of my music allied to building organic architectural designs towards ever increasing climaxes.

This small motif fragment from ‘Into the Storm’ (Example 2.12) moves towards climax by design: the phrase length increases from 3.75 crotchets to 7.5 crotchets; on-beat pulse moves to syncopated intrusions and the implied harmony moves to full chords.

35 106 Example 2.12: The Magic Jungle, 12 ‘Into Into the the Storm’ Storm (bars 63 to 71) — phrase length increasing from 3.75 crotchets to 7.5 crotchets.

Frightening Allegro ( q = 120}

Narrator & c ! ! ! !

c ! ! ! Œ & œ œ #œ Piano bœ œ œ p RH ˘ . .j . bœ. œ j . œ œ œ. œ ? c ‰ j ‰ j‰ . œ ‰ œ ‰ . ‰ ‰ . œ ‰ bœ . ‰ ‰ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. . . . . œ. œ J . œ J . . . . . J. ﬂ .

5 Nar. & ! ! ! 5 j j ‰ bœ œ. œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ . œ bœ œ #œ & œ #œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ Pno. œ œ. œ œ œ ‰ ‰ ‰ ? ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ . ‰ œ œ œ œ bœ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J . œ J œ J ...... J. ﬂ ......

[woodblock] 8 ƒ Nar. ! ! ! j ‰ Œ & ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 8 > . œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ j & œ œ œœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ. ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ ‰ Œ j‰ Œ Ó œ œ œ œ œ #œ . . œ. œ. œ.œ #œ œ Pno. F . œ . . . . p bœ. . œ œ b#œœ œ #œ œ. ? ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œ. ‰ j ‰ ‰ Œ Œ J œ. œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ ﬂ . œ œ. œ J " . © Jean Bunton, 2007 ‘Typhoon’ (in Megan and the eBike) is in ternary form, as I have based it on

the events of a typhoon: firstly the winds blowing stronger, growing in intensity until

they reach a climax, then there is a still centre as the eye of the typhoon passes

36 overhead, followed by a third section which starts with the winds buffeting in the

opposite direction.

I have used a multi-layered orchestration technique introducing instrumental

groups, and many different styles. An organic fragment was used (see Example4) as

the basis of the large piece of music. ‘Typhoon’, as its name implies uses blasts of

sound, and another way I felt this could be expressed was to use a pipe organ to

provide power and energy. Plenty of bass notes were used to create tension in the

musical atmosphere and make it sound frightening as the typhoon advances. For this

central section the only instruments I used were the oboe, clarinets, bassoon and cello,

giving a very eerie and empty feeling after the orchestral tutti before it. When the

Score storm returns the full orchestra is deployed forcing its way relentlessly to the final [Composer] climax. Typhoon - Draft 1 Example 2.13: Megan and the eBike, ‘Typhoon’ (bars 49 - 50) — organic fragment.

b & b b 86 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Piano p

? 6 The bonebb 8 organic !fragment turning !itself into a much! larger piece of! music is,

on5 a very small scale, similar to a method Tchaikovsky described: “One theme, an bb œ œ. œ. œ. embryo& b inœ Bœ majorœ œ , œenthronedœ œ. œ itselfœ œ inœ myœ headœ œ and unexpectedlyœ. œ œ œ. œfascinatedœ. me to œ ‰ œ nœ œ œ such an extent as to make me attempt an entire symphony” (Copland, as cited in ? Harvey,bbb 1965, p. !21). ! ! !

9 Tchaikovsky’s use of a theme that can lead towards explosive moments of b œ b b œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ. ! ! sound& hasœ .led me œto. considerœ. that Œœthe. same‰ explosions which occur in my music are both a musical release of tension, and a chance for me to express emotions that can’t ? b œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ be putb intob words. Lapidaki has found examplesœ œof composersœ œ nœ nœ whoseœ “directœ personal

(autobiographical)13 emotional exaltation triggered the unformed mass of creative b & b b ! 37

nœ. ? b œ. . b b œ. nœ.

14 b & b b ! ! !

? b b b ! ! ! volition. In order to realize the creative potential of this volition, some composers need to have something for it to react against” (Lapidaki, 2007, p. 100). Wagner certainly experienced some of this direct personal involvement and emotion during his near shipwreck off the coast of Norway. It made an indelible impression with the overwhelming force from the storms, the billows, the sailors' shouts and the rock- bound Northern shore. This would later emerge as The Flying Dutchman (Harvey,

1965, p. 26).

Like Wagner, Spanish composer Bernaola’s desire for full orchestral tutti is deliciously summed up just by reading Harper’s review of Piezas Caprichosas

(Capricious Pieces), and gives me the feeling that this would also be my kind of massive musical climax:

This motive then leads into a virtual musical tornado in which each wind

instrument is given rapid and varying figures (from two to nine 64th-notes)

kept together by the constant pulsating percussion groups of six. To add to the

tension, the section must be repeated, after which the composer follows with a

horrific passage of thirty-two notes to be played in unison by the first and

second trumpets. And if this were not enough, the composer then maliciously

combines the two difficult sections, bringing about the orchestral players’

worst nightmare. (Harper, 2003, p. 287).

My own piece ‘Typhoon’ relentlessly forces its way through towards its climax (see Example 3.9 on page 71 bars 139 to 142) as does Bernaola’s ‘virtual musical tornado’. It resonates with the inner satisfaction I feel when expressing my feelings through a climactic moment in music, and the aim is to provide release of

‘childhood suppression’ through sonic texture.

38 B. Educative Imperative Influences

6 Textual and lyrical zaniness

Skittering down the hallway, Flittering through the parlor, Tittering in the pantry, Littering up the bedroom, Twittering all around the house! ‘Everybody Ought to Have a Maid’ Stephen Sondheim - 80th Birthday Celebration - BBC Promenade Concert

My personal musical voice in addition to pure music impulses is also driven by education imperatives. The overriding principle is to engage Chinese children in

English language learning through scaffolded musical processes. On one level it uses textual humour hooks to engage children, but on another it is simple English language sounds. These ‘scaffolds’ of humour hooks and language sounds are platforms for musical development through multiple quick-fire events, which become subversive through juxtaposition and simultaneous levels of sound. That is, simple humour and language are subverted into a maelstrom of different levels towards imaginative sound.

Textual Zaniness

Textual zaniness is one of the things that I appreciate most when reading books for children, and is probably what inspired me to write books in the first place.

In both The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike there are fantasy elements which allow room for magic to materialise and these are of great importance as they give chances to introduce humour into situations. Very young children can often link different physical objects together, and will say things like “my pencil is a rocket going to the moon”. Because of this they can imagine, much more easily than adults, that a story is real. Vygotsky describes this process: “the combination of these elements themselves, in the case of an unreal fairy tale, is the product of the

39 imagination itself, not just its elements” (Vygotsky, 2004, p. 16). I have tried to get to this level of basic connection to children’s imaginations. Any inaccuracies, distortions and exaggeration do not really matter, and may even add to the story. The main aim of my writing is to capture children’s attention through humour.

I have drawn influences from many British children’s authors and their sense of humour, appreciating A.A.Milne’s Winnie the Pooh: Michael Bond, who introduced Paddington (Bond, 1999, x), the immigrant bear who arrived from Darkest

Peru wearing his trademark duffle coat, and who had a partiality to marmalade sandwiches: and Roald Dahl with his amazing books Matilda, and Charlie and the

Chocolate Factory, amongst many others. The texts that I have written try to emulate their styles of writing which Jones and Watkins describe as “(Roald Dahl’s) subtly instructive and pedantic tone … an authorial voice assuring children of the ‘truth’”

(Jones and Watkins, 2000, p. 313). To me, the fact that these authors can write such amusing stories while still sounding ‘truthful’, works on two levels: I can read as an

‘adult’, or I can read to my ‘inner child’. Roald Dahl said of himself that he remained a child (Jones and Watkins, 2000, p. 310).

In the same manner as Dahl, I try to write text in a child-like simple way, and to “see with the child’s eyes” (Honig, 2000, p.18). Bond’s method is not to plan a story, but simply to put the characters into a situation and see what happens (Bond,

1999, p. viii). I often try to imagine myself as the character I am writing about.

Sondheim echoes this advice when saying he tries to be the character himself in a song:

I’ve discovered that … essentially I’m a playwright who writes with

songs and that playwrights are actors. And what I do is I act. So what

I’ll do … is I’ll go upstairs and get back into the character of Wilson

Mizner and I’ll start singing to myself. (Swayne, 2005, p. 1).

40 I extended the concept of putting myself in a situation as the storyteller when I was writing Megan and the eBike as the idea came from a real conversation with my niece, Megan, who was then aged eight. Megan had just been given a bike and said enthusiastically “I want to ride my bike all around the world!” It struck me at the time that this would be a great idea for a plot. As I wrote I always pictured her in the scenes and my own son, Murray (who just adored anything to do with technology) in the place of her cousin (in the musical) Ben, and tried to work out what the two of them would have done, always searching for a humorous outcome.

A. A. Milne’s wonderful humour in the stories of Winnie the Pooh was derived from bed-time stories for his son Christopher. “Milne came to believe,” writes Thwaite, “that there were within him ‘unforgettable memories of my own childhood’ and an understanding of children ‘based on the imagination which every writer must bring to memory and observation’” (Singer, D., & Singer, J. L., 1990, p.

8). Winnie the Pooh was lauded in the New York Herald Tribune: “Here is nonsense in the best tradition … with the high seriousness about it that children and other wise people love” (Thwaite, 1990, p. 261).

Lyrics

I also draw inspiration from song-writers who come up with amusing lyrics.

My early recollections were Gilbert and Sullivan, Noel Coward, Danish pianist and comedian Victor Borge, and British comic songwriters Flanders and Swan. I believe that musicals for children need to include an element of humour in the lyrics. Tim

Rice, the lyricist who wrote the lyrics of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour

Dreamcoat, said “I reckoned that the best way to a child’s heart was through laughter and set out from the word go to make the songs funny” (Rice, 1999, p.132). The song

41 about Joseph’s coat had additional words written by boys in the choir who would be singing it. Rice’s original song ended with the words ‘red and yellow and green and brown and blue’, but the boys at Colet Court School added twenty-four more shades.

Rice writes:

A few years later this joyful string of colours won me great praise from B.A.

Young (the famous theatre critic in the Financial Times) – ‘This, to my mind,

is pure poetry’. The only problem being that I only came up with five of

them. (Rice, 1999, p. 133)

Sondheim, whose witty lyrics I admire, is a great source of advice about lyric writing. He warns that it’s crucial to know what you want to say before starting and then as the music develops, and then you will start to improvise or to sense a rhyme scheme. He tells of Oscar Hammerstein’s advice to him: “Oscar believed that rhyme is easy: but it is expressing a thought with clarity that is so difficult and so important”

(Fordin, 1977, p. 240). Sondheim’s advice about rhyme schemes has informed my own method of writing lyrics. If there is a rhyme, I concentrate on the second line of lyrics first. This means that there is a run-up to the actual rhyming word. An example (from ‘Technology’ in Megan and the eBike) is:

And now I’ve found how we can get you anywhere

This fine machine will have you whist’ling through the air (‘Technology’ bars 51-55)

I tried to bring an educational purpose alongside the humour to both The

Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike. I thought how each song could have some educational content. ‘Zebra’ (in The Magic Jungle) became a way of introducing some useful words such as: black, white, left, right, front, back. Grouping the words by rhyme I then saw: right/white, and back/black. By continually singing these silly words in my mind, and beginning to sense the ‘rhyme scheme’ that Sondheim talks of, I managed to find a way to fit them together:

42 There's a zeb-ra on my left, and a zeb-ra on my right.

March-ing to the zeb-ra cros-sing.

All that I can see is strip-ey black and white.

March-ing to the zeb-ra cros-sing.

There's a zeb-ra out in front and a zeb-ra at my back.

All that I can see is stripe-y white and black.

In the mid-dle of a zeb-ra,

Mid-dle of a zeb-ra,

Mid-dle of a zeb-ra cros-sing

‘Zebra’ in The Magic Jungle ‘Giraffe, Tiger, Lion and Zebra’ (bars 118 - 135).

I believe that a big factor in how a piece of musical theatre will work is the wit in the lyrics. There is plenty of humour in Sondheim’s Into the Woods and the music reflects that. Banfield comments, “once you lose the wit you all too easily lose the music appropriate to it and fall prey to pretentiousness rather than seriousness”

(Banfield, 1994, p. 222). Lloyd Webber’s early work, Joseph and the Amazing

Technicolour Dreamcoat, with its very amusing and cleverly written lyrics by Tim

Rice, was matched with humour in its music. Perhaps the fact that Lloyd Webber wrote subsequent musicals with other writers, such as Phantom of the Opera with

Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe gave rise to more melodramatic music which was more appropriate to the plot.

Roald Dahl’s book Matilda makes great use of the absurd and Tim Minchin, who has written the lyrics and music for the new musical production based on the book, says he has tried to pass on these ideas musically “when you look at the text you can see what is possible lyrically, and then you react to the lyrics musically. I try to be as pure as possible so that the music enhances the lyrics” (Minchin, 2010).

Like Minchin, I consider that wit in lyrics or in text is important for any audience of children, although it is sometimes very difficult to achieve. I know that,

43 in my own case, the anticipation that somebody will read my words, or listen to my music, is in itself reason enough to write. As A. A. Milne once wrote, “You will find that intelligent praise is the one stimulant which a writer needs. I enjoyed writing it - which is the only way I know of firing enjoyment in others” (Thwaite, 1990, p. 392).

7. Juxtaposition between Structure and Architecture

I've rarely seen an opera that I didn't think could be shorter. Sondheim (as cited in Brockes, 2010, p. 10)

Architecture: the plan

Although at first glance it may appear that the music and songs in the two musicals are randomly jumbled together, on a deeper level both The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike are highly structured. This could only be done at the very beginning of the project, by cutting the stories into small ‘episodes’ which could either be songs or words narrated to music. Each song or section of dialogue was carefully placed so that it provided a difference in mood, rhythm, volume, and timbre from the episodes either side of it. At the outset, I was given a one-hour timeframe of music for The Magic Jungle.

Macro Level

Before writing the pieces, I had become aware of research that had been done into the optimal timeframe of children’s concentration spans. Edwards wrote about the Sesame Street television series made in the USA:

They made the programme colourful and adopted a so-called magazine

format where there was not one single narrative for the episode but a series

of discrete and distinct articles (or segments). Tests run by Lorch and

Anderson showed that the maximum time that any section should run in

44 Sesame Street was four minutes, with three minutes being the optimal time

period. (Gladwell, as cited in Edwards, 2000, p. 18)

This finding was of great importance whilst I was in the planning each episode within the stories and I made sure that hardly any of the sections were longer than four minutes. The only exceptions were ‘Into the Storm’ in The Magic Jungle, and

‘Typhoon’ in Megan and the eBike, because each needed enough time and space to introduce themes and let them grow organically. Looking back at my notes I see that in August 2007 (a year before the performances of The Magic Jungle), I had precisely timed the entire fifty-seven minutes of The Magic Jungle to make sure that nothing was going to be too long, and to make sure that there was plenty of variety within the music. The idea of putting more scenes such as ‘Into the Storm’ scene into The Magic

Jungle as a climax, using the full orchestra, was carefully calculated. Likewise

‘Typhoon’ was put into Megan and the eBike as a pivotal moment in that story.

Their length stood out from the surrounding segmental structure to make climactic moments through relative expansion.

Micro Level

On a micro level, in every episode I tried to keep variety in the forefront of my mind. Where there were spoken words I practised saying them aloud while listening to the computer audio play-back. There was no simpler way to do this and it often meant changes to either the text or music depending on what was more important.

Sometimes more background music was needed so that there was time for text, but at other times in a song it became clear that the music must take precedence. In My

Family Tree’ I needed to advance the plot during the course of a song, and it was clear that adding verses of lyrics would make the song too long. Eventually I decided

45 4

4 My Family Tree 43 39

40 F F M b ˙ & b b œ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ great and small, you'll meet them allœ in my mag - ic

40 bbb ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ & ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Pno. P F œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ ? b œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ. nœ œ œ œ b b œ. œ. œ. œ. ˙ œ. œ œ

[harp]

! [flute] 45 œ œ œ œ ƒ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ ˙ œ M b œ œ œ œ & b b #œ ˙ Œ jun - - - gle home. delicately on spoken text by the narrator whilst af single flute playedF the melody of the songs 45 with chordalb accompaniment (as shown˙. in Example 2.14). & b b #œnœ nœ bœnœ bœ œ bœ ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. n œ œ œ ˙. ˙. ˙. Pno. f p Example 2.14: The Magic Jungle, ‘My ˙Family. Tree’ (bars 50. to 63)—.Ensuring the precise timing of spoken words to fit with˙ the background˙. music. ˙ ˙ ˙ ? b #œ n˙ ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. b b n œ ˙ ˙ NARRATOR [spoken] Max explained to his mother that these were not really monkeys; they were small humans. One was a boy and one was a girl. Surrounded by monkeys, Rosie and Tim started to feel a bit out of place. Max suggested that they quickly make up their minds about which animals they wanted to be.

50 œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ œ M b œ œ œ. œ J œ & b b Œ ‰ J Œ Œ Œ Œ

50 b ˙ ˙ ˙. ˙ ˙ b b . . ˙. ˙. . . ˙. & ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. Pno. 5 40 P ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ? b ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. b b ˙. ˙. 4 My Family˙. Tree ˙. 44 NARRATOR ROSIE [spoken] Did they want to be monkeys like Max or would [spoken] It does sound interesting they rather be elephants, giraffes, zebras or even hippos? but I think I'd rather be me. 57 œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. M b œ œ œ. Œ ‰ œ J Œ & b b J

57 ˙. bbb ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. & ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. Pno. ˙. ˙. ˙ ˙. ? b ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. . ˙. b b ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙.

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carefully64 so that the words were easy enough for Chinese-speaking children to U . . b ˙. ˙ œ. . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. . & b b ˙. ˙ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ ‰ Œ understand, whilst also keeping enough diversity. toœ. keepœ. œ.theirœ. œ.attention.œ. . J Sondheim Pno. p has a micro ˙ plan. for ˙ each song. œ. He œ. warnsœ. aboutœ. œ. gettingœ. . verbo. . se . or saying. . things ? ˙. ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bbb ˙. ˙ twice, so that “there'su a slight yawn in the middle of the song, but if you get the right

quickness, there is a dramatic tension that makes the audience eager to know what

70 happens next,F which is the wholef point of drama”. In an interview with ƒ ASCAP M b & b b ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ. œ. ‰ Œ œ. œ (monkey noises oo oo oo) Wouldœ. youœ like toœ be anœ elœ -œe-phantœ orœ. œa hi - po-potœ. - œa 70 46 b & b b œ. œ. œ. ‰ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ. œ. œ Pno. œ. heavily œ œ œ œ œ. f F > > > > ? bbb ! œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ > > > > œ (Carnelia, 2007) Sondheim warns about confusing the audience too much, but keeping a song interesting and not so confusing as to baffle them. Unlike Sondheim, I sometimes had to repeat words for the sake of clarity for the children listening to the songs.

8 Moving from Scaffolding to Simultaneous Levels

I aim for easily communicable ideas for children in both language and sound as a type of strict educational ‘scaffolding approach’ to music theatre, which quickly subverts into a more imaginative, simultaneous multiple-level approach. I have not intentionally set out to become an ‘educational composer’, and am not a teacher, but I have seen in this informal teaching method, and through watching my own childrens’ development, that something that is ‘fun’ and ‘different’ could be helpful for children in Hong Kong. Through hearing first-hand about my husband’s experiences as a teacher in local Hong Kong schools, there is a shortage of material which is written specifically for this group of children. Feldstein has written that

the true composer of educational music is someone who has spent time and effort

developing and understanding of the educational situation with its inherent

strengths and weaknesses so that he or she can create materials that are musically,

as well as educationally, valid. This training is in addition to all the normal

compositional development. (Feldstein, 1982, pp. 46-47)

Through studying the difficulties that young children have learning English I found that there are certain sounds in English which are not used in Cantonese or

Mandarin and children need to perceive these sounds accurately before they can pronounce them. I believe that listening to songs in English helps the communication process. Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis voiced the idea that pre-puberty it's

47 easier to learn a language but following puberty the brain “behaves as if it had become set in its ways” (Newport, 2006).

However in the musical works The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike I have gone far beyond the educational concepts of teaching syllable or teaching vowel or consonant sounds, syllables, sentence structure, and offering children an opportunity to listen to a native-English spoken narrative. Both pieces have frustrated the original teaching principles and sent them flying into numerous different directions, with educational learning practices often buried beneath the multiplicity of other sounds, images, and ideas, so that zany parallels occur. I have not used linear or scaffolding methods of education, where children start with small amounts of learning, and then build upon that base in small modules one at a time, but rather I have seen the need to use rapid changes in musical styles (such as rap, ballad, orchestral building, wild textual ideas, and varied images) to keep the focus of a young audience of children on this adventure of music, words, and imagination. The

Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike are not simple because they take children well past the learning curve, points I develop musically in the later analysis chapter.

Musical Didactive

The second motive in writing The Magic Jungle was to teach young children about sound and music and how the western orchestra works. Before the piece

‘Giraffes, Tiger, Lion, Zebra’ (see Example 2.15) the narrator gives a sequence of information which is spoken and backed up with musical examples.

Example 2.15: The Magic Jungle, ‘Giraffe, Tiger, Lion and Zebra’ (bars 15 to 33)— Description of musical terms and sounds.

[spoken in time to music] ¿ ¿ Tenor ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ V 4 Ó Œ Ó Ó ‰ ¿ ¿ Ó Some were high pitched and some were low pitched. ! 4 œ bœ œ œ & 4 Ó Ó Œ œ œ bbœœ œœ Œ Ó # œ œ bœ œ > > Piano " f ! bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ ? 4 œ œ bœ œ Ó # œ œ bœ œ Ó Ó Œ œ œ œ bœ œ !

19 T ¿ ¿ ¿ V # # Ó Œ Ó Some were blown,

19 ! bœ œ œ bœ œ & Ó Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ bœœ Ó Ó ‰ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ Pno. F P b˙ œ ? bœ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ bœ œ Ó ˙ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ > > œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ (!)

23 T ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ V Œ Œ ‰ Ó # Œ And some were bowed. Some were plucked

23 (!Ÿ) œ . ˘œ Œ Ó Ó Œ œ bœ œ œ Œ Œ œ bœ œ bœ ‰ ‰ & bœ œ bbœœ œœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ > > ...... Pno. f ƒ ? œ Œ Ó œ œ bœ œ Ó œ œ bœ œ Ó # œ œ bœ œ

49 2 [Title]

27 P T ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ V ! Ó ‰ J ‰ Œ Ó Ó ! and some were rolled Some were soft,

27 . œ œ. bœ. œ. j Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ œ bœ œ & œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ ‰ Œ Ó œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ bœ. œ œ.œ œ w w œ bœ œ œœ Pno. . . F p " Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ? œ. œ. bœ. œ. j ‰ Œ Ó œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ. w w œ œ œ bœ . . . . [timpani]

32 f Ï >˙ T œ œ œ V ‰ ! ! [sing] - and some were LOUD!

32 > > U bœ j b œ œ & Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ Œ b œœ œœ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ J œ bœœ b œœ J Pno. > ƒ Ï bœ œ U bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ J ‰ œ œ œ œ

35 T Because The Magic Jungle seeks to engage with a younger audience, I have V ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! taken a close look at works by other composers whose work provides easily 35 communicable& ! ideas for! children! about the! instruments! of the! orchestra.! Prokovief’s! Pno. Peter and the Wolf (1936) and Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra ? ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! (1946) have both taken instructive text and created personalized musical works from them. Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals (1886), while not using text, provides an eclectic variety of styles each conveying the characteristics of animals musically.

Apart from being great sources of pleasure for children, educational music such as Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals provide many easily transmissible teaching opportunities. Using Peter and the Wolf, Collett suggests that teachers could focus on “the characters in the story and how the composer portrays them by the use of instruments, melodic lines, rhythms, and dynamics” (Collett, 1991, p. 44). She suggests that as students listen to, interpret, and discuss the music, they analyze the characters and interpret the musical composition according to the

50 characters’ traits and interactions in the story” (p. 44). The students might say, for example, “Peter is disobedient, brave; the wolf is fierce, angry” (p. 44). Peter and the

Wolf has been used time and again, in books, short films, in games, online activities, and as an opportunity for musicians from one orchestra to visit schools and engage directly with children (The Philharmonia, 2008-09).

As a teaching activity based on Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, Collett suggests that the ‘cancan’ theme from Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in Hades be played first (the ‘Tortoise’ theme is based on it). Before listening to what Saint-Saëns did, the children are asked what they would do to make the ‘cancan’ music represent a tortoise. Later when the students listen to Carnival of the Animals, they compare their ideas with Saint-Saëns’ composition. (Collett, 1991, p. 44).

Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1946) also provides teaching possibilities regarding orchestral sounds. Britten had been asked by the

British Ministry of Education to produce a piece of music specifically for this purpose which would then be made into a film. The Magic Jungle has also been written with this educational purpose but it has not stayed so strictly within an educational

‘scaffolding approach’ to music theatre. As children watch a story, listen to an orchestra, and see each instrument demonstrated, I have tried to ensure that easily transmissible musical information is conveyed without the children knowing that it is

‘education’.

51 Transformative Imaginative Aims

The relationship between imagination and music is a mutually enriching one. Imagination is essential to understanding the musical symbol; music, in turn, cultivates imagination. (Reichling, 1992, pp. 20-31)

Imaginative Escapism

My aim has a transformative aspect which encourages children to use their own imaginations as a creative space of escape from life and simultaneously enrich it.

The concept of a composer’s imagination feeding into a child’s imagination through music is an interesting one. Reichling notes: C.S. Lewis explained that he began to write stories when he started “seeing pictures in his head” (Jacobs, 2005, p. xii).

Lewis said that he wrote stories because he liked them himself and “because he found them the best art-form for what he had to say” (Hooper, 1974, p. 12). One wonders if

Lewis’ stories were a form of escape from the troubles of bereavement from his mother’s early death and boarding school isolation. To enter this world of “pictures in my head” I draw on J.K. Rowling’s and Roald Dahl’s ideas of a child-like imagination. Following these models, I hope that the diversity in The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike will create an imaginative child-like world that appeals to children and helps them fully explore their imaginations.

Joyful Zest ‘Switch’

Musicians are like people in love; they are happy but they don't know what they are doing! E. Thayer Gaston (as cited in Hodges, 1988, p. 81-86)

Simultaneously with the escapist desire founded on an imaginative child-like world at the heart of my creativity, is the will to create joyful zest that causes children to embrace life through the exuberance expressed in my music. Living in Hong Kong gave me the chance to do things I would never have thought of doing in either

52 England or Australia. There are always opportunities for native English speakers and qualifications are not always necessary. I performed in several educational television programmes just because I could speak English. Some of the scripts were, to my mind, terrible: I remember being asked to sit on a bed while saying to my stage husband “Let’s talk about the furniture in our apartment today”. It gave me the idea that I could maybe write something better. A few of the educational textbooks I looked at seemed boring, with endless repetitions of “Which chicken will Mrs Wong buy in the supermarket today?” Of course all the vocabulary and grammar were necessary, but the ‘let’s-break-the rules child’ in me longed to take children on a

“let’s get on a plane and go somewhere on an exciting” adventure.

This almost child-like desire in me to create something new because of lack of suitable materials for children is probably the same impulse as Lewis Carroll experienced. Carroll, who wrote many books for children, was still organizing puppet theatres when he was twenty-three years old, and wrote in his diary in 1855 that there were not enough suitable puppet plays for children, and those that existed had no fun in them. “The itch to baffle and mystify, and to entertain into the bargain, remained with him until his death” (Fisher, 1973, p. 8).

It is just as if there is a ‘switch’ marked joyful zest which I can turn on and change my outlook, just by stepping into the world of a writing or composing project.

The belief I now have about my creative work is that it is something which I could not live without, as it gives me joy to create musical experiences for children. It has also allowed me to have a ‘second childhood’ and I have discovered that there is a sense of mischievousness in my creativity.

53 Credo Summary

As I mentioned at the outset, my artistic credo is based on a series of eight operating principles drawn from musical and educative paradigms with an underlying transformative aim. Specifically the first set of principles are drawn from a musical perspective of a personal voice that aims to create richness through eclecticism, micro and macro juxtaposition and harmonic and timbral colour enrichment but allied to a sense of musical design. The second set of principles is drawn from an educative perspective, continuing the musical richness aim but creating imagination with a move from a simple ‘scaffolding approach’ that is suddenly multiplied by simultaneous ideas. The aim is the subverting of an educative scaffolding paradigm towards multidimensionality to create an imaginative sound world as an escape for both the adult and child listener alike. This latter escape world has a transformative aim that works on two levels: juxtapositional and sudden multi-dimensionality and societal symbols (Christian hymn-harmonic sounds and eclectic musical styles). This richness is intended to be an uplifting musical escape through richness and style reference yet also gently underpinned by spiritual connotations through underlying hymn associations in the colour harmony. Perhaps this artistic need for a transformative element in my music is generated from my painful personal childhood experiences that have led me to seek something better through aiming at enrichment of audiences, especially Chinese children. To understand this autobiographical underpinning in my work it is necessary to examine my life as a ‘story’ generating musical and educational purposes.

54 Chapter Three: My Own Story and its Methods– Leading to Imagination for Children

In this chapter I shall be looking at my personal history, at the way events have had an impact on my music, and at the geographic influences on my compositional styles. My geographical story started in Europe, followed by twenty- three years living in Hong Kong, and finally a move to Australia. My personal cosmology as a composer is a combination of many forms of music, and sometimes I find that I use a mixture of these forms, so I shall explain how these can work together. The geographical influences include French music, Gaelic influences, country and western, pop, the English school of music, music theatre, Church music, jazz, and Chinese influences. I shall look at the difficulties of my childhood but also the positive effects of being surrounded by very varied styles of music and music theatre from a very early age. I shall also comment on the ways I have tried to use my earliest personal experiences and try to transform them into meaningful works of music theatre for children.

As I mentioned earlier, the sadness which often comes into my compositions goes back to my own difficult childhood experiences. My parents were involved in a religious group, Moral Re-Armament,2 and were away most of the time for nine years from the time I was nine months old until they returned from their overseas lives as

“missionaries”. During those nine years I was looked after by a succession of care- givers, moved around to different Group communes, and sent to a Group boarding

2 I shall refer to Moral Re-Armament (MRA) as the Group. MRA was founded in 1938 by American, Dr Frank Buchman. The movement had its roots in Christianity, but grew into an international network of people of all faiths and backgrounds. It was based around the belief that God could give ‘guidance’, and measuring one’s life against 'the Four Absolutes' (absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness and absolute love) encouraging its members to share in public their failure to adhere to these absolutes. Another belief was that ‘changing’ oneself could lead to ‘changing’ the world. This led, for instance, to MRA becoming involved in working for reconciliation and reconstruction in the aftermath of World War II

55 school in Switzerland when I was five. This was a school set up for fifty children of

Group full-time workers who were overseas.

I have learned to express many of the difficult experiences through music. The music of the goodbye song ‘My Magical Musical Friends’ (in The Magic Jungle) was written after my Father’s death. In one of my final conversations with him, he had said to me: “Do something with your music.” This particular piece of music expressed my pain, but also the hope that something meaningful could grow out of a lifetime of inexpressible difficulties.

It requires an enormous amount of effort, time, determination, most usually counseling, and ultimately forgiveness, to put your own difficulties behind you. But, as Grille points out, “some people have managed to turn their emotional wounds into gifts or talents, and many of history’s humanitarians were wounded individuals who, once given opportunities to heal, used their wounds as impetus for great works”

(Grille, 2005, p. 274). I believe it is by trying to emulate these wounded individuals that one is able to inspire others; this has certainly has been so in my own circumstances and its transformative aims in music.

I have always felt the consequences of those early experiences, but I have learnt that music can express emotions that words cannot. For me, the fact, that music can overcome almost anything is vividly illustrated by the explosion of canons and the resonating of bells in Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. It is these kinds of relentless climaxes and wild explosions of sound that I have tried to made use of in my music, such as the forceful climax at the end of ‘Typhoon’ in Megan and the eBike. Whilst this is a microcosmic detail it is also a principle for my musical development.

Places

French musical school

The journey which I have referred to has led my choice of listening to, and writing, in very different styles of music. But the geographical journey I have taken has also led to different influences. Between the ages of two to five I was in France, so it is possible that there could be subconscious French impressionist influences in my choice of music. Fauré, Ravel and Debussy all sound familiar and beautiful to me, and I am always touched by the musical colouring and aesthetic they use. I find that the rich interval colours of ninths, elevenths and thirteenths in these composers’ opulent use of sounds are musically satisfying. Fauré’s Requiem is one of the pieces of music which I find most exquisite. I have searched to find exactly what it is about

Fauré’s musical language, and in particular his Requiem, that touches me so deeply.

Perhaps it is because I am particularly drawn to the sound of the pipe organ, which is the main instrument used in each of the seven sections. McKendrick suggests that it is “sufficient to say that the music is genuine and beautiful, and maintains its freshness with each performance” (McKendrick, 2007, p. 39).

However, I think that harmonically and melodically I am also drawn to this music for other reasons as well. Within the first three bars of Fauré’s ‘Pie Jesu’ the chords move from Bb major to Eb, but the harmony could be said to move from Bb to

D. D being a chromatic chord within Bb major gives the harmony strength. The chords then move to G minor and D major, whilst the melodic line stays within the compass of four notes. The harmony can take the listener by surprise at first hearing.

Fauré’s harmony is closely related to his melodic lines, which is also a strategy I

57 make use of. In my own compositions, when lyrics are not involved, I usually find that the melody line comes first, but it is always very closely related to the harmony.

Score Example 3.1: Requiem by Gabriel Faure, ‘Pie Jesu’ (bars 1-7)—a simple melody in the first three bars moves through four chords in the harmony.

Pie Jesu

Gabriel Faure

Adagio q »¢¢ Dolce Soprano b œ. œ . œ & b c ! œ. œ J œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ Pi - Je Je - su Do - miJ - ne, Do - na e - is

Dolce b ˙ . j œ & b c w ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ w ˙ œ œ nœ #˙ ˙ œ œ Piano " ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ ? bb c w ˙ œ œ œ

5 S b œ ˙ œ œ œ œ j & b œ. J œ œ œ. œ ˙ re - qui - em, Do - na - e - is re - qui - em.

5 j bb œ. œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ & ˙ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ ˙ Pno. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? bb œ œ œ ˙

S b In& theb ‘Cello Flying! Theme’ (from Megan! and the eBike) my harmonies! move from C 8 minor to F minor, then to Ab major finally reaching Eb7 maj in bar 4 (see bb ! ! ! Example& 3.2). All these chords are diatonic within F minor. Pno.

? b b ! ! !

58 '

Example 3.2 Megan and the eBike ‘Cello Flying Theme’ (bars 1 to 7) —the melody line usually comes first, closely followed by the harmony

) ) )# Cello ! ) ) ) ) + ### $ ( ) & * % ) ) ) # ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )) )) )) ) #)) )) )) )) " # # $ ) ) ) ) ) )) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Piano ' # ! ) # # $ ) )) )) )) )) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) " ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

4 Vlc. ! ) ) +)) ( + ### - '

4 % ) ## ) )# ) ) ( ( " # ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Pno. , ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ! ) ) ) ) ) )) )) ) ) ) ) ) )) )) ) ) ) ### ) ) ) ) )

Gaelic folk music

Another place which I relate to geographically is Scotland, which was my

father’s home and where I was born, and it reminds me of the home and family I

wished I had known. Music from Scotland falls into the broad categories of highland

dance music, folk songs which are© Jeanusually Bunton tinged with nostalgia, patriotic songs such

as ‘Flower of Scotland’, and bagpipe band marching tunes. The lyrics of some of the

more melancholy songs sung by the Scots longing for home are sometimes very

difficult and emotional for me to listen to. The drone of bagpipes or bright fiddle and

dance music reminds me of my father and his family. I am sure that Gaelic melodies

and their lilting qualities have influenced some of my compositional approach with its

lyrical emphasis.

I can see that many of my melodies start by rising upwards through an octave,

the climactic note being the top of the octave. In my song ‘Count the Stars’ (see

59 13 Count the Stars

With enchantment Moderato !"#$#%#&'()# Megan # ! # # $ & & & &

## $ ( ( ! # ( ' ' ( ' ' ' ' ' '' '''' '' ' ' ' ' ' ' '' '' '' '' '' ' ' ' ' ' ) ' Piano ' ' ' ' ' % ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' " ## $ ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' # ( ( ( (

5 * M # ! # # & ' + ( & & Example 3.3) I have used a fourthCount' the and stars there is then a leap to the octave between the

5 3 words ‘Count the Stars’ (bar 10), but then there is another leap from a fifth to an ## ( + ' ' ' , ! # ' ++ '' ' ' ' ' '' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '' ' ' ' ' '- ' octavePno. at the words “Go and explore”* (in bar 14). % ' " # ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' Example 3.3#: #Megan' ' and the eBike' , ‘'Count' the 'Stars' ’ (bars' 10'-17)'—showing' ' similarities' to Gaelic melodies.

10 . 3 M # + , ! # # ' + ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' Count' the stars in the un-- i verse twink ling to - night as if to say to us'

10 3 # ! # # + ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' , ' ' ' ++ '' '' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '- ' ' ' ' ' Pno. ' ' * ' ' ' " # ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 2 # # ' ' ' ' Count' the Stars' ' ' ' ' '

14 3 © Jean Bunton, 2009 ) M # % $# $ $ ! # # $ ( $ $ ( $# %& ($$ $ "Go$ and$ ex--- plore the world a round you Op$ en$ your eyes it will as$ tound$ you

14 3 # % $# $ $ $ ! # # $ % ( $ $ $ $ ( #$ &$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ % $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $$ $$ Pno. * $ #$ $ &$ " # % $ $ $& $ $ # $ + $ $ $ % # # ' $ $& $ %

In ‘The Road to the Isles’ (Example 3.4) a well-known Scottish folk song, an octave 18 , . leap Moccurs between# the words ‘A far croonin’ (bars 1-2). / ! # # % ($$ $ $ $ $ $ % %+($ $ $ $ $ % We're on a jour ney to the stars to Jup-- i ter or Mars

18 $ $ $ # $ $ % ! # # $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ % $ $ $ $ $ $ % $ $# $ % $ $# $ % Pno. - ,

" $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ % % ### $ $ $ $ $ ++ $# % %

22 1 , M # % $ % $ $ ! # # 0 $ $ $ $ $ 2 / + None of us can tell if we'll pass this way$ $ a - gain$

22 $ $ $ $ $ # $ $ $ $ $ $ $ ! # # $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $2 / + $ + $ $# $ $ $ $ $ $2 $ $ $ 60 Pno. . - $ $ $$ $ $ % %2 $ $ $ $ " # $ $ $# $ + % %2 $ $ $ # # $ $ $ $ $ Score

Example 3.4: ‘The Road to the Isles’, (bars 1-9)—examples of an octave leap in the vocal part

© words Kenneth Macleod, In blythely forward marching time, with a daintily marked rhythm music Patuffa Kennedy-Fraser, 1917 Boosey and Hawkes Soprano # )( ! $ & ' ) + ) )( ) ) )( )( ) ) ) A)( ----far croon in' is pull in' me a way) As

# $ * ' & ' & ! * ) ) Piano leggiero sempre ) % " # $ * ) '& ) '&

4 S # ) )( ! ) ) )( ) +( ) + ) )( ) take) ) I wi') my 'crom- ak to the road, The)( far Cool- ins are

4 # ' & ' ) ) ' ' ' ! ) ' + ' ) ) Pno. ) + ) )

" # ) '& +'( ) '&

7 S # ) )( ! ) )( )( ) ) ) )( ) )( ) + & putting love on me) As step I wi' the sun)( - light for my load.

7 # ' ' ' ! ) ) ) ) * Pno. ) ) )& + *

" # ) ' ) ' )' + *

Switzerland

My third geographical move probably had even more influence because I was five years old and can remember it in more detail. As I mentioned, I was sent to a

Group boarding school, linked to the world headquarters of the Group, on a mountain- side in Switzerland. The small chalets where we lived with our care-givers and teachers looked just like the pictures on chocolate boxes. In the winter we had skiing

61 and skating lessons and did tobogganing, and in summer we walked through the fields of narcissuses to pick flowers to send by airmail to our parents! However, although some children seemed to do well in the system (perhaps because one of their parents remained behind, or came back more frequently than mine) it was far from picture perfect for me and many other children.

My school ‘story book’ was filled of pictures of death, how bombs might drop, and fairytales in which everybody died. The teachers corrected the spelling mistakes but nobody seemed to question the fact that a small child was living in terror and needed help. The loneliness and fear I felt as a young child within the boarding environment of the Moral Re-Armament school became a spur to create an ‘escapist’ musical world as a coping strategy.

Country and Western / Pop

The only benefit that being at the boarding school had for me was that it introduced me to many forms of music and theatre. In fact, the Group was quite far- sighted in its approach: they believed in entertaining an audience before trying to convert them! People of different ethnic backgrounds, political parties, employers and workers and international delegations would be invited to the conference centre so that dialogue on neutral ground might provide solutions to problems. My parents’ generation had just come through the Second World War, and were desperate not to let Communism take over Europe, so much work was done bringing the German and

French peoples together, and some good did eventuate from these negotiations.

During Group public meetings in the conference centre, musicians and singers would go up to the stage and sing Group songs to enliven the proceedings and provide a break from the ‘testimonies’ from speakers. In the evenings all the guests were

62 invited to watch a Group play or musical in the in-house theatre. The conference centre could at that time accommodate 950 people.

My favourite musicians were a group of three brothers from the United States, the Colwell Brothers, who wrote their own bouncy, country and western pop music.

Steve (lead and rhythm guitar), Paul (lead guitar, mandolin and banjo) and Ralph

(bass guitar) wrote basic harmony, but they sang with tremendous verve. Their lyrics were cleverly constructed, which was a refreshing change from some of the other music in the Group. I can see that the Colwells had an influence on my lyric writing, as I have tried to emulate their sense of rhyme in songs such as ‘Snap, Crocodile,

Snap’. I have to admit that I used one line of their 1958 song ‘Listen to the Lion

Roar’ because it fitted into my ‘Lion’ song (in The Magic Jungle) so much better than anything else I could think of.

The Colwells, and some other lyricists, would sometimes use a saying from a

Group meeting to inspire words to their songs. A quote: “When I point my finger at my neighbour, there are three more pointing back at me” was one such instance (see

Example 3.5).

Example 3.5: ‘When I Point My Finger at my Neighbour’ (bars 1-8)—Country and Western Pop Music written by The Colwell Brothers

When I point my finger at my neighbour

G C FG7 CAm 4 T ( , , ! ' ' '( ' ' * )%+' ' %+' ' ' %+' three more pointing' back at me. The first one' says' "Go easy mate,' you-

D 7 GG7 C 8 T ' ' , ! ' '( ' '( ' ( ' ''' '( ' '( + ' '( ' '( ' ain't cleaned the rub- bish from your own back gate" Oh when I point my finger at my

D m E A m D m7 G 7 CA 11

T , ! ' * %+' ' ' ' * % ' ' '( ' ' ' '( ' ' ' ' '( ' neigh' - bour it just ain't hon es' '---ty Be. cause I re al ize I must first get wise to the

FG7 C 16

T ! ' '( ' '( ' ' *( ) / / three that are pointing at me.

Herb Allen, who played the xylophone brilliantly, was another great influence because he and the Colwell Brothers made music sound so entertaining. Allen wrote

20 to me after I sent him a DVD of The Magic Jungle saying T ! / / / Certainly I see the ‘influences’ (of the Group). What I recognize in your writing is

have had enormous fun writing and producing The Magic Jungle. (Allen, personal

communication, 2010)

Much of the enthusiasm which I try to bring into some of my livelier songs, I believe, comes from the early influence these musicians had on me.

64 Yet another influence on my music came from the fact that we, as children, were always present at the welcoming ceremonies for any new group of people. We were taught the National Anthem of the delegation concerned, and were expected to sing it with the ‘International Chorus’ of adults. This often meant singing in a different language. I can still remember the Xhosa and Zulu words and tune complete with their beautiful harmonies to the South African Anthem:

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika,

Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,

Yizwa imithandazo yethu,

Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.

(sung by the Kenyan Boys Choir, YouTube, 2012)

So, although we were surrounded by the Swiss alps, we met people from all over the world and quite naturally had an internationally-influenced childhood.

Looking back at my childhood now I realize that although my years in Switzerland were anything but pleasant, I was exposed to many types and genres of music, which I may not have experienced otherwise. It seems quite ironic, in retrospect, that my parents’ jobs in the Group were to travel with the musical theatre productions and that

I suffered as a result, yet so many years later I am now entranced by trying to write music theatre pieces myself.

The loneliness and fear I felt as a young child within the boarding environment of the Moral Re-Armament school became a spur to create an ‘escapist’ musical world as a coping strategy.

65 3 Musical Theatre

I can see the lure of musical theatre and why my parents became so involved.

The Group created extravagant pieces of musical theatre which toured the world, designed both designed to recruit more members, invite people back to conferences in

Switzerland and to save the world. As very small children we were sometimes expected to perform in these pieces of musical theatre. Most of the lyrics were irritatingly silly and insubstantial, but I found that some of the melodies and harmonies were beautiful and they are still embedded in my mind.

I believe that these early musical experiences were a large influence, as fragments of those melodies and harmonies still come out at different times in various forms in my own compositions.

4 Music from the English school

Some very gifted composers who had joined the Group, such as Will Reed, were responsible for much of the music. Reed has been referred to as a “versatile composer of quintessentially English music” (Brockes, 2002). Reed trained in composition in London at the Royal College of Music under Herbert Howells, and later conducting with Constance Lambert. Many of the Group’s productions, such as

The Vanishing Island (1955) written by Reed, Cecil Broadhurst and George Fraser, with a libretto by Peter Howard, had great artistic and professional merits bringing together many fine musicians, singers and a mass chorus of about one hundred people. Reed did the orchestrations for The Vanishing Island which were recorded, and he then ‘conducted’ the performances all around the world.

As a nine year old I finally managed to persuade my parents to let me come and live in London, where the Group found a home for them, to continue their work

66 there. I went to a ‘normal’ school. When I was eleven I had the opportunity of being one of three children in the chorus of the professional cast of Tchaikovsky’s The

Queen of Spades at London’s Covent Garden. Although we only had to sing one line in the opening scene, I was further hooked on the glamour of musical theatre and opera.

George Fraser, a Scottish composer in the Group, brought something of the lyrical nature of Gaelic melodies into his work. His song, ‘Please, Thank you and

Sorry’ (see Example 3.6) comes from the Group’s 1964 Pantomime Give a Dog a

Bone, with its message to children about being polite and well-behaved in order to build a better world. This pantomime had a less overt ‘message’ from the Group and so I felt less threatened by it. I remember going to see it at least once a week during my teenage years as my father was one of the actors, and I was always allowed to go backstage after the show.

67 Example 3.6: Give a Dog a Bone, ‘Please, Thank you and Sorry’ (bars 1 to 8)—music with an easily communicable message to children.

Although my early exposure to musical theatre started with influences from the Group, it has always had a fascination for me as the ultimate escape into a world of fantasy. Rogers and Hammerstein’s were the first pieces of musical theatre which had an impact, and later Bernstein’s West Side Story. I felt that Bernstein’s dynamic and powerful music filled a gap between ‘music theatre’ and classical opera.

Griffiths, in Oxford Music Online, writes that Bernstein enjoyed success as a composer for both Broadway and the serious concert platform, and he insisted that he was “always a theatre composer, born to bring the theatre and the concert hall together” (Griffiths, 2011). Lloyd Webber and Sondheim, who both focus on imaginative eclectism, combinations of elements, juxtaposition, orchestral character types and colourings, provide musical models that set up style juxtaposition, and these have been especially useful to my work. As I have learned more about the art form of

68 musical theatre I have seen that Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Lloyd Webber’s

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat are excellent models for the setting of juxtapositions in my own work.

Howard Blake’s music for children has also been a model which led me into writing The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike, because I saw the possibility of writing a concert-staged musical which seemed a slightly more manageable challenge than a full opera. Howard Blake’s The Snowman uses a boy soprano singing with an orchestra, telling a story written for children. This new and interesting concept now includes a film, projected onto the top of the proscenium arch.

I can see some similarities in the pattern of the songs which I write with

Blake’s song ‘Walking in the Air’. In my composition ‘My Magical Musical Friends’

(see Example 3.7) there is a two-bar phrase in bars 19 and 20, which is repeated a third higher in bars 21 and 22. The melody reaches its most poignant note of a high C

(in the key of Ab major) as the first note in bar 23.

Score [Composer] Example 3.7: The Magicmagical Jungle, ‘My musical Magical Musical friends Friends’ few (bars bars 19 to 24)—an example of repeated phrases leading the most poignant note (C in bar 23).

19 Soprano b b & b b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j Wishœ thatœ we could leave theœ wordsœ un - spo - ken. Now we have to part nandœ

b b & b b c œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j Piano œ œ œ œ w œ nœ. nœ ? b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ b bb c w w ˙ n˙

4 22 > S b b & b b œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ˙ Œ oneœ thing's cer - tain. You'll ne - ver know howœ muchœ I'll miss - you.

4 > bb b ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ & b œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙œ œ œ œ Pno. w œ œ œ œ ? œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ bbbb w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙

In Howard Blake’s ‘Walking in the Air’ (see Example 3.8) bars 26 and 27 are 7 S b answered& bbybb bars 28 and! 29. Bars 30 and 31 repeat! the pattern of bars! 26 and 27, and the most7 poignant note is a high D (in the key of D minor) is the first note in bar 32. b & b bb ! ! ! BothPno. pieces have an ascending melody as the feelings the singer is expressing get ? b more intense.b bb ! ! !

70 Score

Example 3.8: The Snowman, ‘WalkingWalking in the Air in’ (bars the Air 26-33)—the most poignant note is D, reached in bar 32. Howard Blake Moderato q»¡™º p & b c Œ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ subito œ We're walk-ing in the air - - œ - -œ We're Piano ƒ p œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b c œ Œ Œ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ œ Œ Œ

5 b œ œ œ œ j ‰ œ œ j Œ & œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ Pno. float-ing in the moon-lit sky œ œ the peo-ple far be-low are sleep-ing as we fly œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b œ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ œ

& b ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Pno.

? b ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

26 b œ œ ˙ œ & œ ˙. œ œ ˙. w Pno. Childœ -ren gaze o - pen mouthed tak - en by sur - prise. œ nœ œ œ œ œ ? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ #œ œ

30 Now that I have tasted the excitement of working in the genre of music theatre Ó b œ œ ˙ œ œ˙. œ #œ ˙ I am& eagerbœ toœ find˙. other opportunities. Other composers talk# ˙about their devotion to Pno. No - bo - dy down be - low be - lieves their #eyes˙ Ó music? theatre.œ Lloyd Webber,œ Schwartz,˙ Sondheimœ œ all˙ put on their first productions˙ as b œ bœ ˙ Ó teenagers.

5 Explosions of Sound

After all these early musical experiences, and having learned piano and pipe organ at school, I realized that I would love to study it properly. But I was told on leaving school that it wasn’t suitable for me to go to university, so it felt as if every musical impulse within me was locked up trying to escape. The Group did not agree with young women going to university, and they were assigned jobs as secretaries and cooks within the Group. After some of the young men had gone to University and started to question the fundamental beliefs of the Group, it became more difficult for them as well.

Being in The Group we were not allowed to show any outward signs of irritation, anger and other unseemly emotions, and even now it is hard to do this as I have had so much experience of suppressing my feelings. As Group members we had to marry within it, so any means of escape by marrying ‘out’ were not possible. I feel sure that this feeling of being trapped influences my use of loud gongs, and timpani, as moments of frustration and anger explode into my work, such as examples in ‘Typhoon’ (see Example 3.9).

Example 3.9: Megan and the eBike, Typhoon’Megan Orchestral (bars Suite - Typhoon139-142)—explosions of sound. 91

159 Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pic. b ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. & b b Ï Ÿ œ œ œ~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ˙. ˙. Fl. 2 b œ œ œ œ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & b b Ï Ÿ ˙. ˙. ~˙~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙. Ob. b ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & b b ƒ Ÿ ˙.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙. B Cl. 1 b & b ƒ Ÿ ˙.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>˙. B Cl. 2 b & b ƒ

Bsn. ? b œ œ ‰ ˙ ˙ ˙ b b œ œ œ œ . . . œ f 159 C. Bn. ? b b b ! ! ˙. ˙. F 159 Hn. b & b œ œ Œ ˙. ˙. ˙. œ > f

C Tpt. b ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & b b ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. f 159 Ÿ Trom. ˙.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~˙. ? b > b b ˙. ˙. Ï 159 Timp. > > ? b Œ Œ Œ Œ b b œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ç ç 159 >y Perc. ˙ œ ˙ ã . ‰ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ J > ç ç 159 div. œ. œ. ˙>. >˙. Vln. b œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œ ˙. ˙. & b b æ nœ œ æ nœ œ Ï div. œ. œ. Vln. II b œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œ >˙. >˙. & b b æ œ œ æ œ œ ˙. ˙. Ï Vla. b æ æ > > B b b ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. Ï > > Vc. ? b œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ b b æ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ ˙. ˙. Ï

D.B. ? b > > b b æ æ œæ æ œ œ ˙. ˙. ˙. Ï

Hong Kong

A form of escape eventually presented itself as my husband and I went to

Hong Kong to work for the Group there. I finally met people in the real world and found that not everybody was ‘heathen’. Bit by bit I extricated myself from the

73 Group, although it meant losing all my friends in the Group, and also facing up to

Group members who came to Hong Kong to try and re-convert me. Living in Hong

Kong has been a hugely influential cultural experience, and I have learned a lot about local customs. We left the Group and my husband worked in Hong Kong Chinese schools, as I mentioned on page 46, and for half of the time we lived in genuinely local Chinese (as opposed to expatriate) conditions. This provided a rich variety of sounds ranging from the clattering of mahjong tiles in the middle of the night to the loud gongs and percussion of the Dragon Dance, and Cantonese opera with what

Thrasher describes as “its mellifluous and slightly sensuous tonalities” (Thrasher,

2011). My experiences of living in Hong Kong allowed me to revel in different cultural experiences.

I have used some of these traditional sounds in my compositions, (as Example

3.10 demonstrates). The tiger dance is a specified set of drum beats and gongs, so that when I used it in the Tiger song in The Magic Jungle, the audience would have been aware of the significance.

Example 3.10: The Magic Jungle, ‘Tiger’ (bars 57 to 68)—the traditional Chinese tiger dance, arranged for Timpani and Percussion.

There are many musical influences I have picked up during my life in Hong

Kong: these include the different timbres of Chinese instruments and orchestra, pentatonism, the use of fourths, the lack of a tonic note or ambiguity, and the use of second inversion chords.

As Corbett-Smith wrote succinctly long ago in 1912:

Chinese music uses little sequential melody in its songs and dances, and

harmony and counterpoint are practically non-existent. An orchestra plays

entirely in unison and with rare exception of occasional thirds and fourths. Then

there is the uncertainty of a scale which contains neither third nor leading note.

(Corbett-Smith, 1912, p. 575)

All these ‘differences’ leave many western listeners feeling that the music

‘never arrives’ at the end.

Cantonese Opera (Yueju) includes martial arts and acrobatics as well as singing, acting, and music. Before there was widespread education in China, opera was used to teach morals and messages to audiences and it is steeped in classical tradition and heritage. Pang, reviewing The Story of Wu Zixu, a modern Chinese opera based on the book and lyrics of Yuen Siu Fai, described the traditional elements that it retains:

all the time-honed operatic conventions of refined stylized movements, splendid

colorful costumes, melodious music, and poetic phrases, as well as the proverbial

story filled with the standard Confucian values of loyalty, filial piety, and

patriotism. (Pang, 2004, p. 487-489)

The full orchestra, led by the gaohu (a two stringed fiddle with bow), includes the erhu (a smaller two stringed fiddle), yehu (bowed lute), yangqin (hammered

75 dulcimer), pipa (short-necked four-string lute), dizi (transverse flute) and houguan

(double-reed pipe), with the percussion comprising many different drums and cymbals. The percussion controls the overall rhythm. Often in street market opera nowadays there are only a few instrumentalists, but modern loudspeakers substantially crank up the volume and thoroughly make up for lack of numbers!

Stock writes that each musician simultaneously aims to create:

a common (memorized) melodic outline in a manner suitable to the technical

capabilities of his own instrument and in accordance with his own aesthetic

preferences. However, in some instances players can respond to the other

musicians in the group possibly imitating short decorative passages, but also to

look for novel ways of bringing the common melodic outline to life. (Stock, 1993,

p. 277)

Cantopop, the modern popular music of local Cantonese in Hong Kong, has been another influence. It plays continuously from taxis, shopping malls and street markets. There is a ‘swooning’ characteristic in much Cantopop, and the singer’s voice is always much louder than the backing orchestra. Lee posits that Cantopop derived from contemporary Japanese popular music and that by the 1980s, “the local production of Cantopop evolved into a style of contemporary soft rock. Lyrics are almost exclusively of an amorous nature” (as cited in Witzleben, 1999, p. 242).

However there are other styles of Cantopop apart from those which are ‘easy listening’ or ‘soft rock’ and these could be described as ‘fast and loud’ (Ibid., p. 243).

Ho sums up the situation, noting that one major characteristic of local popular music in Hong Kong is the “high degree of cross-fertilisation between various musical cultures and idioms and the consequent emergence of hybrid styles” (Ho, 2003, p.154). The City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, who performed The Magic

Jungle, plays a diverse repertoire from Baroque to contemporary Chinese

76 compositions and newly-commissioned works, and is comprised of equal numbers of local Hong Kong musicians and other professionals from overseas who are temporarily resident in Hong Kong (City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong website).

All of these sounds have provided me with Chinese-European influences to draw from.

Australia

Moving to Australia has changed my perspectives on life yet again, because I now feel suspended between three continents and cultures, whilst not really belonging fully to any. It can be difficult because it leads to feeling cut off and never really finding ‘home’, but it has also a privilege to have had the chance to experience so many cultural and other riches in life and to have lived in different countries. These experiences have fed into my imagination and the continued suspended space also provides the freedom to explore them. Finally having the chance to study music feels like I have come full circle, being able to use all the influences I have experienced.

Australian composer Liza Lim shares some of this suspended space, being

Chinese of Brunei descent, but moving to Australia in 1978 and studying at the

Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne University. Toop in Oxford Music

Online, writes of Lim:

She has a fascination with ancient non-Western languages and meditative

practices, as in the impressive choral Sri Vidya; and with non-Western

instruments, notably the koto, the tablature of which she learned before

writing Burning House. However, there is no sense of a stylistic return to

Lim’s Asian origins: the music remains emphatically Western, and the

treatment of the instruments is by no means traditional. (Toop, 2012)

77 He concludes, “Lim’s position is that of the infinitely curious investigator, though one not averse to being drawn spiritually into what she is investigating”.

The multicultural focus at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) where I completed my undergraduate study has led to exploring the music of Australia, such as the didjeridu which is featured in Megan and the eBike Orchestral Suite. At the

University there has also been focus on the music of other countries, such as the

Indonesian gamelan, and as music students we have been encouraged to research into the use of non-western instruments and use them in our compositions. The UWS

Music Department’s Founder, Professor Michael Atherton, is considered an expert in musical instruments and sound-making objects of Australia and the Asia-Pacific

(UWS website). My supervisor at UWS, Dr Bruce Crossman (UWS website), is a composer-scholar with a focus on Pacific-European musical identity. He has worked with the Kanagawa Philharmonic (Japan), Korean Symphony Orchestra, and New

Asia String Quartet at the Pacific Rim Music Festival in the USA. My co-supervisor,

Associate Professor Diana Blom, lived and worked in Hong Kong for several years so can easily understand the Chinese influences I try to bring to my work. During the course of my studies at the University there have been many musical events where cross-cultural works have been presented, such as the Aurora Festivals in 2006 and

2008.

5 Traditional Church Music

Another part of my musical cosmology is as a church organist. I am drawn to four-part harmony and the musical heritage it represents. There is stability about the organ and four-part harmony choral work. I particularly love playing the pipe organ, accompanying a congregation and a choir. I find that the traditional four-part

78 harmony of hymns, which I have played as an organist over thirty years, is fundamentally grounding. The English Cathedral tradition of hymn singing is also spiritually uplifting to me (see Example 3.11).

Example 3.11: ‘Love Divine all Loves Excelling’ (Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1889).

Love Divine All Loves Excelling

Words: Charles Wesley, 1747 Music: Sir John Stainer

Organ Love Di - vine all loves ex --cel ling.

Joy of Heav'n, to earth come down. ---

Fix in us--- Thy hum ble dwell ing,

All Thy faith-- ful mer cies crown.

I also like the more contemporary Church music of John Rutter and his use of voice leading, lyrical melodies, and his utterly beautiful chord sequences. His © Sir John Stainer Christmas carols, such as The Nativity Carol, (see Example 3.12) sometimes have a

79 simple melody line, but by using a great variety of harmonization each verse sounds entirely different. Sometimes the chords in the accompaniment might be very simple minims and are played softly, but at other times there is use of an Alberti bass pattern to create a smooth, sustained, flowing sound which can rise to a great crescendo when Score needed.

Example 3.12: ‘The Nativity Carol’, (bars 24 to 30)—John Rutter’s use of voice leading and harmonization. Rutter's Nativity Carol

John Rutter Andante tranquillo 24 q»¡º• f " Soprano # 3 ˙ œ œ & # 4 Ó œ œ œ ˙. œ œ Œ For Christ is born - for aye. Bornœ on Christœ œ- masœ Day˙ f " Alto ## 3 œ & 4 Œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ For Christ - is born - for aye, œ- œBorn œ œ #onœ Christ˙ - œmasœ Day˙ f " Tenor ## 3 Ó Œ V 4 œ œ ˙ œ ˙ Forœ Christ œ isœ bornœ œ- forœ aye,˙. Born œ- onœ Christ - mas Day f " Bass ? # 3 œ ˙. œ œ # 4 ! ˙. ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ Born for aye, Born on Christ - mas Day

# # 3 Ó œ œ œ Œ & 4 ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Organ œ dim. œ œ œ œ #œ ˙ œ œ ˙ Œ f " œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ œ ? ## 3 Ó œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ 4 ˙. œ œ œ œ ˙. ˙. Œ

Rutter’s musical style is influenced by the British choral tradition started by

Holst, Vaughan Williams, Howells, Britten and Tippett. However, as Greenall writes in Oxford Music Online, it also draws influences from European music and the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, especially the harmonic and melodic language of Fauré, Duruflé and their contemporaries (Greenall, 2011). The outstanding quality I find in Rutter's music is the beauty of his melodies, such as For the Beauty of the Earth, and Gaelic Blessing which are always memorable and inspire

80 © John Rutter so many church choirs to try his music. The melodies are often arch-shaped, many of them with answering phrases, often rising step by step to a climax, and always with harmonic underpinning. Because of this he has achieved a wide following around the world. Sometimes the melodies are introspective, such as ‘The Lord Bless You and

Keep You’, but some are totally joyful, such as ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’.

However, the music of Bach and Vivaldi and their influence on later Christian church music is intrinsically linked into this. Bach had a natural gift for writing beautiful melodies, but there is also a logic which fascinates theorists and composers.

His use of organicism, usually stated within the first few bars and developed over a composition has influenced me in my work as a church organist. Organicism, the use of a small fragment or motif which is then used as the basis of the whole piece, growing in volume, texture, placed in a different range, turned upside down, elongated, or decorated is a method I sometimes use for my own compositions. As a

Lutheran, nearly three quarters of Bach’s compositions were for the church, and it is probably for this reason his music has withstood the test of time because it is part of the liturgy. However there were times in his life when he devoted himself entirely to the production of secular music (Smith, 2006).

7 Jazz and Blues

While growing up I didn’t hear any jazz or blues, nor most pop-music, as they were not considered healthy influences. Therefore, when I first encountered these types of music they opened up a totally new concept of sound. I appreciate the tertian harmonies of jazz including sevenths, ninths, and elevenths. Tucker defines jazz in

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians as:

1) a musical tradition rooted in performing conventions that were introduced and

developed early in the 20th century by African Americans; 2) a set of attitudes and

81 assumptions brought to music-making, chief among them the notion of

performance as a fluid creative process involving improvisation; and 3) a style

characterized by syncopation, melodic and harmonic elements derived from the

blues, cyclical formal structures and a supple rhythmic approach to phrasing

known as swing. (Tucker, 2012).

One of the first jazz concerts I went to in Hong Kong was to see the French violinist Stéphane Grappelli, who was by then in his eighties. I was transfixed and from then on sought out recordings of his music. It was like discovering a world I never knew existed.

George Shearing, Oscar Peterson, and especially Keith Jarrett’s improvisational piano works inspire me greatly, and it is often after surrounding myself in Jarrett’s music that ideas spark in my own mind (Jarrett, 2010). Keith

Jarrett’s improvisation ‘Radience part 13’ is an example of his slower, deeply emotional pieces (2002). The Paris Concert Part 1 is almost a Baroque piece which uses a fugue technique (December 30, 2007). The Vienna Concert Part 4 shows how

Jarrett handles a brilliant improvisational work demonstrating his pianistic ability

(Jarrett, 2007). Christopher Norton manages to create a stimulating blend of contemporary popular genres and classical influences, and in particular he gets the essence of jazz into simple compositions for children. This is a skill I admire.

Norton’s compositions have a distinctive modern feel, featuring various popular styles such as reggae, disco, rock and roll, Gospel, stomp, and walking bass. (Norton, 1990).

Amongst the jazz composers I love is George Gershwin. His love of ragtime rhythm, where “right hand and left hand notes’ accents persistently refuse to coincide” (Rosenburg, 1998, p. 10) drove him to seek out many of the jazz musicians in New York to study their styles, which soon became a part of his own compositional repertoire.

82 I have since incorporated some of the principles of jazz into my own music, especially the use of swing. Robinson, in Oxford Music Online, defines swing as the rhythmic pattern which arises when a fixed pulse is played at the same time as a rubato accented pulse. There is a forward propulsion imparted to each note by a jazz player “through manipulation of timbre, attack, vibrato, intonation or other means”

(Robinson). As well as using swing in sections of The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike (such as ‘Living in the Magic Jungle’ in The Magic Jungle) I have made use of the technique of alternating rhythms between the left and right hands which is shown in ‘The Trip to Sydney’ (see Example 3.13).

Example 3.13: Megan and the eBike, ‘The Trip to Sydney’ (bars 24-27)—the use of ‘steady’ and ‘swing’ rhythms working against each other.

8 The Educational Imperative Including Fantasy Writing

Escapism into fantasy

I have always appreciated the humour that certain children’s authors bring into their books, having had to read so many to my own three children, and it was probably this that led me into writing twenty years ago. Working with fantasy elements is enjoyable, so that magical animals forming an orchestra in the jungle, and a computer-controlled eBike that flies around the world are quite easy to envisage.

I started writing and self-published my first book when my own children were small and I found this was a great form of escapism. The lonely and unloving experiences I had as a child served as an influence in trying to make other children’s

83 experiences more pleasant. The stories I write often involve the use of magical powers which are given to children, animals or objects.

Educational text books

My writing led to writing textbooks for children learning English in China

(Bunton, 1992-2006). As a consequence of writing I began to wonder if pronunciation and music could be combined and I started writing simple children’s songs (Bunton, 2003). Phonics Fun, a series of six books and compact discs, with accompanying eBooks and interactive DVDs, were published and have sold worldwide, and circulation is into the millions in China, (Slack, personal conversation

August 22, 2012) which came as a big surprise to me. I have since written books for the People’s Educational Press in Beijing, Megan and the eBike being one of them.

Musicals for Children

Sing the Sounds of English, a collection of 27 songs, which was written as my

Honours Project at the University of Western Sydney, has been performed as a musical pantomime endorsed by the Hong Kong Government Cultural and Leisure

Department.

An apology

To their credit, the Group recently published a book: Stories of the Caux

School 1955-65, interviewing many of the children who were at the school in

Switzerland. The Group paid fares for a reunion where we could reflect together on our journeys through life. The two authors, Mary Lean and Elisabeth Peters (still members of the Group)3 ran into criticism from some others in the Group for writing the book, and the word ‘sorry’ was never said, but for most of us it was a chance to go back to Switzerland and meet some of the only people who could understand the

3 Which has changed its name to Initiatives of Change.

84 circumstances of our collective childhoods, there was an opportunity to express the pain we had gone through, and get some sort of closure.

Summary

In summary, my diverse journey through life has provided me with many sources of music which I can draw on eclectically as inspiration when composing.

My early exposure to and participation in musical theatre certainly whetted my enthusiasm for more chances to participate in an art form which I find extravagant and fun. The range of styles of music I have heard from an early age, such as music from the French school, The Colwell Brothers with their country and western music, the English school of music, the liveliness and colouring of jazz and blues, the music of Hong Kong with both its ‘Chineseness’ and its Cantopop, the rich voice leading and colour harmony of composers such as John Rutter, and my background as a pianist and church organist have given me a rich range of styles. My work as a writer for children first prompted the idea of writing lyrics for songs, then the possibility of writing music as well. Escapism into fantasy which can be expressed through music as well as words, are all part of my cosmology.

Pragmatism, in the end, has been the factor that has brought The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike together. Turning around the sadness of my past, and making it into some new ‘creation’ has given me a sense of purpose in my life.

Chaves wrote that “the joy of creating a work of arts, a little unit complete in itself, is the unconscious joy of emulating God, the Creator” (as cited in Harvey, 1965, p. 59).

I also feel that sense of joy.

85 Chapter Four: My Creative Process

Even some creators … look at the apparently unprompted appearance of their own ideas with amazement. (Hindemith, 1952, as cited in Garsea, 2011 p. 20)

Because the unique case falls outside the categories of existing theory and technique, the practitioner cannot treat it as an instrumental problem to be solved by applying one of the rules in her store of professional knowledge. The case is not “in the book.” If she is to deal with it competently, she must do so by a kind of improvisation, inventing and testing in the situation strategies of her own devising. (Schön, 1996, p. 5)

The “joy of creating a work of art” which Chaves wrote of is also, for me, accompanied by a sense of amazement. Hindemith’s feeling of “where did that music come from?” always surprises me in my own creative process in writing, and in composing music theatre works. As both the composer Hindemith (as cited in

Garsea, 2011, p. 20) and educationalist Schön (p. 5) posit, creativity is a spontaneous act which Schön takes further seeing practice-based knowledge as involving a necessary ‘out-of-the-rule-book’ approach. I consider that my own process goes through identifiable stages but not necessarily in the way my collaborators imagine.

Schön argues for artistic cogency (p. 13) as a way of making sense of these indeterminate practice-based situations which I encounter in composing. Whilst there is artistic cogency based on materials which I have outlined as a series of operating principles earlier, there is also a process of the mind which works through stimulation, collaboration and dialogue to allow the emergence of the materials to express my subversion of the scaffolding approach to learning which follows the linear pattern of education into multiple levels.

1. Stimulation

External Stimulation

A Reason or Stimulus to Write

Sondheim was once asked “Generally, what comes first, the words or the music?” He answered “generally the contract!” (Grant, 1994). Generally, for me too,

I find that there has to be a reason or a stimulus. A commission is a stimulation, and this does not have to be financial (although it is always better), but just the knowledge that my words and music might be used is stimulation enough. Reflecting on my creative process in hindsight it is clear that I cannot write in a vacuum, as I find my inspiration dries up. My reasons to write and compose have been for the educational imperative of Chinese-speaking children learning English in Hong Kong, where I saw a need for lively books and music. This also resonates with my feelings of compassion for them.

A Commission as a Vehicle

Once there is a project or commission, my creative process goes into overdrive, and takes over every waking moment, but dialogue is necessary at every step and this necessarily slows down my process. I recognize now that this is a symptom of my ‘out-of-the-rule-book process’ which any commissioner or collaborator might find difficult to fathom even at an early stage. My ideas come in the form of a complex ‘mind-map’ and not a straightforward ‘road map’. The commissioner has to present their needs, and I might suggest my ideas as solutions, whilst realizing that these ideas might have to change in the process.

87 Conveying musical ideas to an external commissioner is difficult, as they cannot hear what is intended. I cannot describe my music as simply ‘classical’,

‘concert’, ‘art’ or ‘pop’, but maybe a mixture of them all. It is better to send some examples which the commissioner can choose from. Sondheim talks of exactly this process when he was working with Leonard Bernstein on West Side Story, and trying to demonstrate to producers how the songs would sound. Sondheim always let

Bernstein play the piano, but as Sondheim said, Bernstein couldn’t sing, so Sondheim took over (Gross, 2010). In my conversations with Bill Connor, the orchestrator of

The Magic Jungle, he agreed that the best way to communicate ideas to a commissioner is to sing and play through the songs at a piano. However, as I was in

Australia, Bill Connor in Wales, and Leanne Nicholls, the artistic director of the orchestra in Hong Kong, this was an impossibility, despite Skype.

There are models of ‘fully staged through-sung musicals’ for adults, which primary-school-aged children also love, such as Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the

Amazing Technicolour Deamcoat, Schwarz’ Wicked, and Sondheim’s Into the Woods, but I could not find any existing theory or technique specifying a format for an educational musical for very young Chinese children learning English which I could draw from. Basing my ideas on the way Howard Blake’s concert-staged musical The

Snowman worked, with dialogue, songs, and with the orchestra on stage, the way I approached the writing of The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike, was by improvisation, inventing and finally, as Schön also writes, testing strategies of my own (Schön, 1996, p. 4). Following this, at every stage, I would have an external dialogue with the commissioner.

88 Internal Stimulation

Once a commission is received, the next step is to find internal stimulation to start writing. This is often illusive. American musicals composer Stephen Schwartz describes the frustration he felt at his inability to write lyrics to a particular song. He decided to abandon it completely. However, on a five-hour drive from Washington to

New York ‘A Corner of the Sky’ “got written” (Education Department, John F.

Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, 2008). Many other composers refer to their creative processes as finding the spark or flash of inspiration as I will discuss later.

Internal aspects of inspiration are most often linked to feelings, and there are times when I sit down at the piano and try to express joy, sadness, or other emotions.

Schön has written that the student “cannot be taught what he needs to know, but he can be coached” (Schön, 1996 p.17). This is certainly true of my internal stimulus to compose. Discovering the diversity of different compositional styles, and being coached through University training to improvise as a way of finding my voice, has led to the creation of surprising music which, Schön predicts, might happen: “often, there is a powerful sense of mystery and magic in the atmosphere” (Schön, 1996, p.

17).

There are four ways in which music ‘comes’ to me:

1 Words

A song is sometimes prompted by a word or two, which usually comes with a melodic line and a rough idea of harmony. This can happen anywhere and not usually at the piano. The first line of words and melody follow almost subconsciously, and I simply write them down, sometimes changing the order of the words for effect or ‘tweaking’ the melody into more of an unusual shape. I then move

89 to the piano to notate the melody and harmonies. If the song sounds worthwhile I will think about it more, and words and music usually follow, probably over the course of two or three days. There are sometimes difficulties finding words for other extra verses, if the rhythm of the first verse has been written in very strict time, but in this situation I might use a bridge.

2 Improvisation

Improvising and testing out interesting chord progressions at the piano often leads to new styles of composition, and often moves me towards completing a whole piece. Sometimes I have a word or two in mind – for example ‘time and again’ - which prompts the rhythm for a first line of music, even though I have no intention of writing a song and have no other words in mind. I always leave a book of blank manuscript paper on the piano to capture new chords for my musical vocabulary. I find that it may take days of improvising (maybe only half an hour a day), until I find a chord progression and melody that I am searching for, and then perhaps some of the previous work can be integrated.

3 Expressing Emotions

At a very deep level, when even words cannot express emotions, I find that music helps and I have had many instances of this happening. Going back to the piano again and again is a form of internal music therapy. Sometimes I will visualize the exact location where joyful or sad memories and emotions come from.

Spontaneously joyful feelings usually lead to a jazz composition. At other times I will often think of a composer whose music I love, such as Bach, and try and compose in his style.

4 Spontaneity

When writing music without words I start writing at the piano itself with either

an organic fragment which can then be explored further, with two or three chords

generated from memory, or from an improvised ‘accidental’ chord.

Ideas sometimes come as small pieces of a jigsaw so I write them out by hand.

When they begin to develop I enter them into the computer. ‘Typhoon’ (see Example

4.1) started as a very simple two bar phrase, which then expanded into eight bars.

Score Example 4.1: Megan and the eBike, ‘Typhoon’ (bars 1 to 8)—the first fragment of music. [Composer] Typhoon - Draft 1

b & b b 86 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Piano p ? 6 bbb 8 ! ! ! !

5 bb œ œ. œ. œ. & b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ. œ ‰ œ nœ œ œ

? bbb ! ! ! !

9 b œ b b œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ. ! ! &At theœ. momentœ. of œ conception. Œœ. there‰ must be chordal colour, and this is probably drawn from my experience as a Church organist and from hymn-like ? b œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ harmonicb b colouring, which might have œ religiousœ œconnotationsnœ nœ that connect

consciously13 or subconsciously. Even if the harmonies start out in Church four-part b & b b ! harmony, I tend to use them at first before diversifying the texture beyond chordal

nœ. ? b œ. . b b œ. nœ.

14 91 b & b b ! ! !

? b b b ! ! ! homophony. Working from the very simple melodic idea, I then fill in the harmonies

(see Example 4.2).

Example 4.2: Megan and the eBike, ‘Typhoon’ (bars 1-8)—with simple harmonies added.

Following this step I usually begin to add extra instruments (in this case I decided that a pipe organ would give depth and power). However, in the case of these particular bars in ‘Typhoon’, my supervisor commented on the fact that he felt that this part of the music was like entering into a conversation which had already started, and that I needed much more of an introduction to grow the theme organically. These few bars (see Example 4.3) then became bars 37 to 44 in the finished piece.

92 Score [Composer] Example 4.3: Megan and the eBike, ‘Typhoon’ (bars 37-44)—with an additional instrument (in this instance a second piano part.

Typhoon - Draft 3

b & b b 86 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Piano p œ. œ. œ. . œ. œ. œ. ? bb 86 œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ nœ b œ. œ. œ. œ J

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b 6 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b b 8 œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ Piano ! ? b 6 b b 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

5 b & b b œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ nœ œ Pno. œ

? b œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. b b . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ.

5 ? b b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ

? b œ œ œ œ œ œ b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

All of these processes have an element of my just being the ‘scribe’ to write

them down. It is the unprompted appearance of words and music, which Hindemith

referred to, which I find difficult to describe.

93 Erratic inspiration

Where a skeletal idea or theme appears in consciousness. (Sloboda, 1985, p. 116).

The ‘Spark’

My own process of writing depends on diverse and erratic sources of inspiration but I am always on the look out for that small ‘spark’. Sometimes an idea just ‘comes’, or as Hindemith describes it, “it only comes when the situation is ‘ripe’”

(Hindemith, 1952, p. 57). On the other hand, an idea sometimes comes only after I have struggled constantly to find it either consciously or unconsciously. This struggle is usually totally unproductive, because ideas most often come when I am in a relaxed frame of mind, usually playing the piano, after listening to some music, but at other times as well. J. K. Rowling acknowledges that the idea of Harry Potter and a boarding school for wizards “came to her complete” on a delayed train journey from

Manchester to London in 1990.

Unusually she was without pen and paper and was stuck for four hours with

her big idea and nothing to write it on. When she got off the train she went

straight home and started writing (Hall, Sunday Telegraph,1997, p 14).

J.R.R. Tolkein was marking an exam paper when he saw that a student had left a page blank. According to his own account, he wrote “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” (as cited in Doughan, 2000).

Driving is often when the ‘spark’ of ideas and melodies just ‘come’ to me, and

I have to stop the car to make a note of them. Any situation where there is nothing else to do, such as waiting for a bus, or sitting in a plane can also be creative times.

The idea of setting T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats to music occurred to Andrew Lloyd Webber while re-reading the childhood favorite on a transatlantic flight in 1972 (Cats Handbook for Teachers, Hershey Theatre).

94 I think for any composer this ‘spark’ must be almost like the “Eureka - εüρηκα heúrēka - I have found (it)" moment of Archimedes, the ancient Greek mathematician and inventor. (Du, Jun & Pardalos 1997, p. xi). For Stephen Schwartz a song comes to life “in pieces - it depends on what the emotion of a song is, where it is in a show, and who is singing it.” He has said that “Over the years, through experience, he has come to start with a title” (Schwartz, 2011). Sloboda believes that the creative artist has a repertoire of ways he can use his musical material, but sometimes no way of generating the first ‘spark’ on which to base his work. “The inspiration seems almost externally ‘given’” (Sloboda, 1985, p. 116).

The notion of an externally ‘given’ source rings even more true to me, because the middle of the night is also when I get inspiration for writing stories, so I often wake up to write them down. Sondheim has said that problems get solved in dreams.

"Maybe not specifically, but whatever sleep does to the subconscious lets ideas bubble up (as cited in Grant, 1994). Tchaikovsky also described the “somnambulant condition (where) everything that flows from one’s pen …(is) invariably good” (as cited inHarvey, 1965, p. 2).

Eliot writes of Walt Disney:

one night when he awoke sometime after 2 am, got out of bed, went to

the standup desk he kept next to it, and scribbled a note to himself. His

dream had awakened him. On a piece of paper he scribbled The Three

Little Pigs. As with virtually all his great creative revelations, Walt had

once again let his unconscious be his guide (Eliot, 1993, p. 73).

In writing for musical theatre it is also necessary to try to get as many ‘sparks’ of imagination as possible so as to vary the styles of each segment. When I finally get the words and prospective chords of part of a song into my mind the whole process takes off.

95 The first line of text is always my springboard for the first line of a song, the rest flowing from that but it all depends on that first textual ‘spark’. Words and music flow, although there are of course countless drafts and corrections that have to be made. Composition can sometimes get to a stage when you are lost in a trance, and lose all track of time. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who has written extensively on the subject of flow, which is the same type of trance that I have described, undertook a study of a group of artists and wrote, “The artists I studied spent hour after hour each day painting or sculpting with great concentration. They obviously enjoyed their work immensely, and thought it was the most important thing in the world”

(Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1992, p. 3). I am convinced that because music demands such a great amount of training and the learning of its basics, that it is not just the ‘spark’ that is needed but knowing what can compositionally be done with it.

Music Influenced by Erratic Visual Ideas

As well as ‘sparks’ based on words, improvisation, expressing emotion, and spontaneity, some of the scenes and songs in The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike, were sparked by ideas which I thought children would find interesting and amusing visually, for example a monkey somersaulting out of a box. I then tried to think of the genre of music which would enhance the visual ideas. However, it was sometimes a tongue-twisting lyric which prompted a song. I was forced to expand my styles of music to provide enough contrast for each scene. As the central character Max was a monkey, I visualized the whole violin section as being monkeys, in which case they could all live in the ‘family’s tree’. This prompted the

‘My Family Tree’ song. ‘Zebra’ was inspired by a military march because in my

96 mind’s eye I could see a procession of zebras marching down the pavement to cross the road at a zebra crossing. Children’s musicals publisher, Denver, writes that children are stimulated by stories in musicals which are “larger than life and out of this world” (Denver, personal communication, 2004), so I tried not to automatically censor my ideas even if they seemed ridiculous, because I have learned that “things which might look silly on paper can come across well in practice” (Arleo, 2000, p.

14).

Music Influenced by Harmonies and Sounds

Sometimes a spark can come through harmonies or sounds. There are also times when I sit down at the piano and just play any notes randomly. If something sounds interesting I will write it down, then perhaps go on to play a chord sequence, which sometimes leads to a piece of music, but more often doesn’t. At times the thought of a particular instrument suggests an image, for example a soaring ethereal cello melody ‘Cello Flying Theme’ aimed to imitate the feeling of uplifting energy.

The ‘Homeland Theme’ (see Example 4.4) with a didjeridu (which I analyze in chapter five) was used to base the story clearly in Australia. The mixture of all these influences provided a wide pallet of colours, rhythms, and harmonies to make use of.

Example 4.4: Megan and the eBike ‘Homeland theme’ (bars 1 to 7)—opening oboe phrase.

I am always looking for voice-leading in the bass part, and enjoy using a walking bass in jazz. However, working in this way does not lead to easy lyric

97 writing, usually just to incidental music. Finding inspiration to write, or to compose music, is a difficult thing to describe and I am sure that every writer and composer looks for this ‘initial something’ which can act as a catalyst. Bailin, though referring to creativity in writers of text, posits that “So far, no one view of creativity has been able to sufficiently explain the “spark”, or “the something more” (as cited in Barber,

2003, p. 3). I feel that the same applies to music. The ‘initial something’ usually comes through finding unusual harmonies and chord progressions to underpin the first line. If the phrase can then be used again, modified, elongated, turned upside down, this can trigger the second line. But it is not always necessary to get into complex harmonies, as sometimes the line can be repeated with different harmony, or with some small twist in the melody, as I did in ‘Homeland’, simply repeating the first phrase. Debussy used this technique in Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune: the first three musical phrases open with the same flute arabesque at the same pitch, but each sounds totally different due to the first ending without harmony, (see Example 4.5) the second sounded over a E major chord (see example 4.6) and finally the third ending over an G#/E chord (see Example 4.7) (Orledge, 1981, p. 15).

98 Example 4.5: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, (bars 1-3)—opening flute arabesque ending without accompaniment in bar 3.

Example 4.6: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, (bars 11-13)—repeated phrase with ending over a E major chord

99 Example 4.7: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, (bars 21-22)—third repetition of phrase ending on a G#/E

Sondheim says that for inspiration he enjoys playing with words and harmonies at the piano. “He doodles an arpeggio accompaniment … based on a theme. This is one of his favorite activities because he enjoys ‘just fiddling around’… using rapidly changing harmonies and rippling chords” (Grant, New York Times

Online, 1994). Lloyd Webber also improvises in this way. When writing ‘All I Ask of You’ he commented (in an interview while he was seated at the piano and playing the song) that “all the intervals are very me”. He just ‘doodles around’ at the piano, he continues, until he can fit bits together in a piece. “Once you’ve got something together like that, you know that you are away” (Lloyd Webber, 2008).

In some cases I am stimulated by the actual sound of an instrument, such as the oboe in ‘Oboe Theme’ in The Magic Jungle. Ligeti, on being commissioned to write a piece for horn, said, "When the sound of an instrument or a group of instruments or the human voice finds an echo in me, in the musical idea within me, then I can sit down and compose. [O]therwise I cannot" (as cited in Lapidaki, 2007, p.

100).

100

Children as Musical Inspiration

I have found my inspiration in writing for children. Perhaps at first it was because it was a ‘niche’ market where my music might be used, but the more I have written, the more I can see that it is my “inner child” connecting with other children.

I gain a great deal of information from my contacts with children as they are “the inexhaustible source of life energy and inspiration” (Kabalevsky, 1963, p. 49). I like to ask questions, get new ideas, find out what amuses them, perhaps because of the difficulties in my own childhood. Grille writes that “We are most tuned-in to them

(children) when we listen to them closely, and when we keep an open mind” (Grille,

2005, p. 275).

2. Collaboration

I collabor him, and he collabors me George Furth (referring to working with Stephen Sondheim) Finishing the Hat, 2010, p. xi

Sondheim works in close collaboration with his ‘book’ authors to learn as much as he can about their material. He seeks out their vision. He also works closely with a librettist, sometimes for several weeks, discussing the feelings which a character might portray, what the atmosphere around the singer is, and where in a production a song is placed, before he starts writing it. His assistants are “almost extensions of himself: which is why part of his genius lies in his ability to light on the right collaborators” (Mellers, 1994, p. 238).

Thompson has written that a successful collaboration can be difficult because:

Nothing we are taught as young people really prepares us . . . . One of the

markers of healthy collaboration is the sense you have of being lifted up and

carried along by it; and one reason it's painful is that when you are lifted up,

101 no longer on solid footing, that can be scary . . . . Unfortunately, that sense of

uplift doesn't occur most of the time—and people assume that collaboration is,

at best, an efficient way to spread the work around. Or, at worst, the enemy of

true artistic vision (Rudakoff & Thompson, 2003, p. 119).

The Artistic Director

In the case of The Magic Jungle the artistic director of The City Chamber

Orchestra of Hong Kong felt that a jungle-themed musical, lasting one hour, would be a good concept. This idea came to her because her four year old son was going through a ‘jungle stage’ in his interests. However, the decision was not entirely her own because she would need to put forward a proposal for funding from the Leisure and Cultural Department of the Hong Kong Government to put The Magic Jungle into the International Arts Carnival before we could proceed. When the proposal was approved I started to write the broad outline of the story.

Writing Collaborator

Megan and the eBike evolved in a different way as the story came from a book

I had written for the People’s Educational Press in Beijing in collaboration with

Neville Grant, a writer in London. This collaboration had been a very rewarding experience, even though only by email, as he is a very experienced children’s author and he encouraged me greatly. Once I had secured permission to turn the book into a musical from both Neville Grant, and from the Publishers, I went ahead in adapting the story.

From both the stories I had to decide what scenes could be turned into songs, where dialogue would work better, and where the climaxes should come. This was mostly an internal dialogue, and in the case of The Magic Jungle, a dialogue with the

102 artistic director of The City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. I was able to make three visits to Hong Kong for field work, and the artistic director and I spent a lot of time talking over all the ideas. This was of great benefit. For centuries, as Winter notes, research has involved written documents, but more recently:

artists have discovered that their work—their dance, their painting, their

sculpture, their novels, their music, their poetry—were all created through a

process of research through practice, and that that art deserved to be

accepted as worthy doctoral research in itself (Winter, 2010, p. 1).

Winter goes on to quote what dancer Isadora Duncan once said: “If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it.”

I was also able to go to London to talk with the orchestrator. At our meeting

Connor gave me much advice from his personal experience:

Lyrics and music are only 50% of what is needed now .. the rest is ‘spectacle’.

It’s an event for an audience and needs to be colourful and memorable. ‘Simple

and straightforward’ usually works, so don’t get too complex. The story and

music should be indivisible, like a good film where you don’t notice the

background music (Connor, personal conversation, 2007).

The Notational Stage

Typing dots onto a computer score is a tedious but necessary process. Many drafts have to be edited, additional phrasing inserted, played through at the piano to make corrections, until the piece is finished. Although Schoenberg composed parts of his First String Quartet while taking a long walk, putting them down on paper when he came home, he lamented “Alas, human creatures, if they be granted a vision, must travel the long path between vision and accomplishment; a hard road where … even geniuses must reap their harvest in the sweat of their brows” (as cited in

Lapidaki, 2007, p. 102) whereas more humble mortals need to work even harder.

103

The Orchestrator

The collaboration with Bill Connor, the Orchestrator of The Magic Jungle, did not go fully to plan due to his illness. He had written:

although it is possible to do this (collaborate) at a distance via e-mail and telephone, it

is much better and eventually more effective to meet up to discuss and plan to play

though the materials with the composer and the director to decide the right

atmospheres for the songs...it's not just as simple as sending a song sheet and setting

the song...it depends on how the production is to work....how the director envisages

the look and the sound of the project (Connor, personal communication, 2007).

This meeting would have been the ideal conduit for collaboration, but in the end it was mostly done by email and a few phone calls. He had asked that the whole project be ‘malleable’ before it got to orchestration stage, so that he could see where the production might fall apart in front of an audience of children. Dialogue was, of necessity, very brief but he was able to see very clearly what I had in mind, questioning some ideas about instrumentation, and suggesting some embellishments.

He commented,

there will always be areas that you might not have heard in the same way and that to

me is part of the excitement of collaborative work... (would that this were more close

proximity collaborative working) but your score says all we need to know and if I'm

unsure I ask (Connor, personal correspondence, May 27, 2008).

Connor’s orchestrations of the jazzy pieces were extremely cheerful, whilst he managed to achieve gracefulness and peace in sections such as ‘Oboe Theme’ and

‘My Magical Musical Friends’. As he was to be the Conductor as well, he knew the score in complete detail so was able to give a convincing performance fully dressed and face-painted as a lion.

104 Wagner imagined true collaboration of the arts being music, dance and drama.

Writing in Art-Work of the Future, he described how he envisioned boundaries between various arts could be created. This "fellowship of all the artists" would have a common aim, and be the only soil in which the unified “Art-work of the Future” could grow. According to Thompson, Wagner believed that art and artist could find the richest expression through collaboration (Thompson, 2003, p. 121).

5. Dialogue: Reflective-Process

On reflection, my dialogue and collaboration with the artistic director and orchestrator, a group of only three artists, had to cover the types of collaboration which are normally shared by many. Collaborators on a Broadway musical usually include the original author, a librettist who writes the plot and dialogue (known as the

‘book’) a composer, a lyricist, an orchestrator, an arranger, a choreographer, a costume designer, a lighting designer, a director who facilitates the team’s collaboration, and a producer who manages the financial backing (Uzzi & Spiro,

2005, p. 456). In putting on The Magic Jungle, the artistic director was covering the work of choreographer, costume designer, director, and producer as well as her work as manager of the Orchestra and oboeist (a principal part, as the oboe was played by the villainous snake). There was a very tight budget, and we also had to use only resources and personnel available from the pool of professional musicians and actors living in Hong Kong at the time, so that played an enormous factor in our planning.

Schön writes of “knowing-in-action” (Schön, 1996, p. 26), meaning knowing is in the action, as a process that is difficult to make verbally explicit. I consider that the two-way collaboration with the director was productive with the practical knowledge base we had at the time about putting on a musical for children. Our

105 dialogue during the year leading up to the production led to our jointly following the same strategies, and we held similar assumptions about the outcome. With the later input from the orchestrator, and also from the actors, the cumulative product was further improved. Perhaps the fact that there were so few people involved was what helped to keep the production cohesive.

On the other hand, there are lessons learned from this “knowing-in-action” which would affect the way I would handle any other production in the future. Uzzi and Spiro write of a somewhat idealized form of collaboration:

Once the artists have their material in prototype form, they work together in an

intensive, team based collaboration in which they simultaneously incorporate

their separate material into a single, seamless production. It involves full days

of collaborative brainstorming, the sharing of ideas, joint problem solving, and

difficult editing, as well as flash points of celebration and commiseration that

promote strong social bonds among the teammates (Uzzi & Spiro, 2005, p.

458).

“Reflection-in-action” causes us, as Schön writes, to “think critically about the thinking that got us into this fix or this opportunity; and we may, in the process, restructure strategies of action” (Schön, 1996, p. 28). There were communication difficulties at times during the collaboration process. The Orchestra had a busy schedule of concerts throughout the year, so the director was necessarily occupied with many other demands on her time. The orchestrator was seriously ill in hospital, so could not start work until five months before the performances. During the rehearsal period with the actors, many questions were raised about making changes and additions to the script. I am sure that I was at fault at times, stubbornly holding on to what I had first written, and by the final week of rehearsals and performances we were all experiencing a great sense of stress.

106 In a project that I worked on with the director a year later, putting on my musical pantomime, Sing the Sounds of English, I can see that we had both been through a learning process and had a tacit understanding about the amount of work involved and the fact that it would be better to have more people involved in the team.

We did “restructure strategies of action” (Schön, p. 28) without even realizing it. I had more time to work with the orchestrator, and the director was able to budget for, and hire, a stage producer to take control of choreography, costumes, lighting, and directing all the action. The stage producer became an excellent collaborator and raised a question about the lack of a major climax in the script at an appropriate time before rehearsals had gone too far and with sufficient time to make additions. This

‘stock-take’ or reflection in action is now a key part of my creative process.

Dialogue as a Shaper for a Project

The reflective-process dialogue with my supervisor, Bruce Crossman, has been of paramount importance. We discussed my work in a type of critical reflection whereby I saw the construction of some ideas as having cogency with identifiable musical reasons and understood others as needing further development. Although I had previously learned elements of compositional practice, there were many times when a part of the music would “stubbornly resist correction” (Schön, 1996, p. 26) in my creative process. I was left in a quandary: wanting to improve, but the music not going in the direction I felt it should. Constructive dialogue between composers brought about many solutions to the compositional problems, which then allowed the music to find its direction. At times it was possible to stop and think in the midst of my compositional process and find an imaginative way to proceed, as an internal dialogue. Schön writes that in reflection-in-action, “the rethinking of some part of our

107 knowing-in-action leads to on-the-spot experiment and further thinking that affects what we do” (Schön, 1996, p. 29). However, in dialogue with my supervisor I was able to learn many useful compositional strategies through being in these situations, and these have provided me with techniques which will apply to other situations that are similar.

Reflection-in-action has enabled me to define my creative process in a step- by-step process. My initial ‘mind-map’ approach to a stimulating creative project leads to my proliferation of ideas, and is the driving force behind my work. However it is the collaboration and dialogue with others involved in the development of a project that is invaluable and refines the ideas, establishing joint action towards an imaginative goal.

Risk taking/Stimulation

Those who have free seats at the play hiss first. Chinese proverb

My Approach to Creativity

An aspect of this reflection-in-action is experimentation, which is the key ingredient to the acceptance of unknown projects. “I’ll do it” has always been my quick response to any offer of work. I believe that my ‘daredevil’ approach to life has been fundamental in my work as an author and now a composer. I always say “Yes” to almost any request or opportunity even if I am totally unqualified for the job. I rarely have second thoughts about whether I can actually do a project or not, my nature being to respond to any challenge. In the past, when offered a job to write a series of books for a Chinese publisher, I agreed and then discovered that the deadline was impossibly short. Each of the books and compact discs of songs in the Phonics

108 Fun educational series had to be completed in six weeks (Bunton, 2003). My frenetic search for ideas when in such a situation is sometimes beneficial as my ideas become increasingly wild and the stories become more imaginative and outrageous. I believe that I am a survivor and this sometimes leads to risk-taking decisions. Without risk, I have found, nothing new happens.

In my work as a writer of textbooks I always strive to write about colourful subjects even within the bounds of teaching grammar. In Reading for Writing, a book

I wrote in 2005, Madame Liu Dao Yi, Chairwoman of the People’s Education Press, said that she especially liked the grammar section, because “the grammatical features are clear and vivid, not boring as grammar usually is, and the useful expressions will be much welcomed by students and teachers” (Tsoi, personal communication, March

9, 2005).

When asked by Leanne Nicholls, the artistic director of the City Chamber

Orchestra of Hong Kong to compose a concert-staged musical for children with the theme of a jungle, I quickly agreed, keeping in mind my aim of writing a work which was not boring. The director had heard some of my songs for children written for the

Phonics Fun series, and we had collaborated on a compact disc of my songs for children, Sing the Sounds of English. I was overwhelmed to get such a commission.

Collaboration with an orchestra in Hong Kong

The smallest divisible human unit is two people, not one; one is a fiction. From such nets of souls societies and the social world, human life springs. And also plays. —Tony Kushner (as cited in Thomson, 2003, p.118)

In accepting the commission and through the process of writing The Magic

Jungle I realized that it was a risky business offering to put on an hour-long musical with no previous experience! I found that communication and negotiation on every

109 detail with the artistic director of the orchestra was the most important factor. The director had experience as a producer, based on putting on concerts for children, and knew what might or might not work. While I often get carried away with my imagination, I always find it is difficult to get negative feedback, and rethink my artistic vision. It often involved changes on my part. Sometimes, because of the director’s busy schedule of concerts, it was hard to get feedback quickly so I had to work on several parts simultaneously in the hope that I was on the right track with some of them.

As the newcomer to the process I had to admit that although I had my own artistic ideas, I didn’t have the practical experience of working with an orchestra and I also had no idea how live audiences of children and parents would respond.

The director had this valuable practical experience because her orchestra had put on The Snowman (1982) by Howard Blake, which I referred to in Chapter 3. The

Snowman uses a magical story of a boy and the snowman he builds on Christmas Eve, who then take off for an astonishing flight together. Matthew-Walker recently observed that The Snowman is “a set of symphonic variations and a subtle and fully-wrought score” (Matthew-Walker, 2006). It would be a hard act to follow. At first I only envisaged the story in The Magic Jungle being told by a narrator, and not including the cast of four which eventuated. When the Director found out that the narrator she had in mind was also a tenor, there were many more possibilities to think about as he would be able to sing part of the narration as songs, which would provide much more variety.

Collaboration with an orchestrator in Wales

Apart from the difficulty of the orchestra being in Hong Kong, it seemed another hurdle to work with an orchestrator in Wales. I managed to go to London, but

110 at that time he was working on a film score with a very tight deadline so we only managed to meet for an afternoon.

Once Bill Connor could start on the orchestrations he came back with many questions such as: “In number 1 ‘Introduction’, (bar 19) are the opening harp glisses at pitch or have you just notated a gliss effect that you want in the same key area as the surrounding tonality? It sounds rather nice with the bi-tonality of C working with the A major tonality (see Example 4.8)” (Connor, personal correspondence, March 6, 2008).

Example 4.8: The Magic Jungle, short score, ‘Introduction’ (bars 17 - 22)—clarification of intentions between composer and orchestrator. 1 Introduction 2 [harp] when, all of a sudden, they saw a huge box right outside their apartments. p P 17 [harp] œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Nar. œ œ œ œ Œ Œ & ! ! œ œ œ œ

>œ. g #œ œ œ #œ œ Œ g œ. #œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ J œ Pno. p ˙. ˙ ˙ ˙ œ ˙. œ ? #˙ ˙ #˙ œ Œ

They became very curious. [harp magic motif] F [strings] 20 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Nar. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ ˙ œ œ œ & œ œ œ Ó F F f 3 - - - ˙ œ - #œ- œ œ- œ #œ ˙ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ #œ œ & - - - #œ Pno. P F ˙ ˙ w> w> ? ##˙ #˙ #w #w

I sent shortTIM explanations: “In numberROSIE 4 (‘My Family Tree’), the long [spoken] Is that your box? [spoken] No, I thought it was yours. descending23 gliss[Strings] (bars 8 and 9) is supposed to represent the box landing, so should be Nar. œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ & œ #œ œ œ F - œ- #œ- œ œœ Œ œ ? œ œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ & #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ 111 Pno. œ œ withœ œ growing excitement œ œ P F #w ? w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ " the same instrumentally as the box taking off at the end of ‘Introduction’ (bar

170)” (Bunton, personal correspondence, 2008) (see Example 4.9). With warmth Swing rhythm[timpani] 2 [Narrator] (spoken)[one solo Rosie, violin] Tim and Max climbed out. Max was so relieved to be back home and was eager Example 4.9: The Magic Jungle, ‘My Family Tree’ (bars 9 and 10) — conversation with the Orchestrator on instrumentation. 4 My Family Tree 37 41 Swing Tenderly 9 [solo{q =violin] 95} œ M # nœ bœ œ n b # nœ bœ bœ œ 3 Œ nb & nœ bœ œ 4 #œ nœ b nœ bœ bœ œ nœ F 9 œ U ## nœ bœ œ nœ bœ Œ Œ 3 Œ Œ nnbb & bœ œ œ bœ œ 4 #œ b nœ bœ bœ œ œ œœ Pno. > f ? ## Œ Œ nœ bœ œ œ bœ 43 Œ Œ nnbb œ œ œ bœ œ œ b œ bœ œ œ NARRATOR u> Bill Connor[spoken] Max understood was so relieved to every be back home nuance and was keen that to show I had Rosie inand Tim mind his family and tree. came up with

some wonderful11 (Max flourishes,introduces the children ideas, to his family) and parts in the orchestrations which I only realized M b b œ œ. œ ˙ œ œ Œ ‰ j œ œ. œ œ œ œ & b œ œ œ œ . J were so clever in hindsight. Where I had only indicatedœ aœ drum roll, Connor suggested

11 how a solo violin, representing a monkey looking around tentatively,j could add to the bb Œ ‰ œ œ. œ œ œ & b œœ œœ. œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ. œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œœ. œ - œ- excitementPno. (seeP Example 4.10). - - Œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œœ œ Example? 4.10b : ˙The Magic Jungle, ‘Introduction’ (barsœ œ. Œ28 to 31) œ— œornamentationœ œ by solo b b . ˙. ˙. ˙ ˙ ˙. violin.

NARRATOR Yes, it was a real, live monkey. The monkey climbed out of the 17 With warmth and humour box and looked around. F TenorM b Œ Œ &V bcb ˙. ! œ ! Œ œ œ œ. !œ œ ˙ œ œ! œ MAX [sing] Thisœ is my fam - il-y tree, and this is myœ

17 solo (tentative; looking around) 3 3 3 3 6 œ œ œ 3 b œ œ œ œ œ Vln.1. b b . Œ Œ Œ . . . œ œ .œ & c Œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ ‰ Œ œœœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ. œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ With3 tenderness œ œœ œœ Pno. . . . œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ- - - Pj P F ‰ œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. Œ Œ Œ 5 ? b ˙. œ œ. œ œ. œ ˙. œ œ œ œ œ œ Oneb bof the concepts that emerged during the˙. final rehearsal˙. period˙. was that the T V ! ! ! artistic director felt it would be better to involve the two children in the cast in more

5 dialogue. We had, at first, envisaged the narrator speaking or singing everything but & ! ! ! many last minute changes occurred. Although it was another risk to keep changing

8 the dialogue, in hindsight it was an excellent decision to involve the children more as T V ! ! !

8 112 & ! ! !

11 T V ! ! !

& ! ! ! it added to the variety. However, two days before the performance I had to put my foot down and say, “No more, please! You can still make changes to the words, but please don’t alter any more of the music!” (Bunton, unpublished diary, July 12,

2008).

Making changes would have been so much simpler if we had had the chance to workshop the performance a few months before. Matilda, by Roald Dahl, was turned into a children’s musical in 2011. Dennis Kelly adapted the book into a script and worked closely with Australian songwriter Tim Minchin. At the Royal

Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, they had the opportunity of workshopping the production with children (Minchin, 2011). It gave them a chance to see, among other things, at any particular point where something didn’t work, whether the script, the lyrics or the music was at fault, what to change and how the children responded. In putting on The Magic Jungle it was often very difficult to see which was not working at any particular time, whether it was the music, the dialogue, or the lyrics, and how to extract and change it.

My risk taking approach to writing The Magic Jungle reached its highest peak as I sat in the audience at the first performance, realizing that we had one thousand two hundred parents and children in the audience and no idea how they would react. I oscillated between sheer terror and amazement that the whole project had come together through our collaborative efforts. Andrew Lloyd Webber says that when you are writing for a musical, the story comes first and if the story is right, then the songs will be right. But, he adds, you never really know until you see it with an audience

(The One Show Interview, 2011). Sondheim makes the point, “You keep writing what you like and you hope other people will like it. You can't outguess the audience or a social trend and there's no point trying” (Evans, 2009, p. F 1).

113 Failures

Of course the ultimate risk is that of failure. Facing that risk is a powerful emotion. Carpenter, (pp. 239-240), as cited by Brett in Oxford Music Online, reveals that Benjamin Britten’s way of coping with the risk of failure was to play “childlike superstitious games to bolster his confidence as a composer” (as cited in Brett, 2011).

My need to be creative can become quite overwhelming at times, and lead to feeling very down when there is nothing to work on, which I believe is also true of other artists and composers. Even when it seems that a project is doomed to failure, I will keep on trying to resurrect it in some way, maybe offering it to a new publisher, or even self-publishing. My disappointments only serve to make me increasingly determined that something will eventuate. Many composers go through bleak phases when they feel their work is not good enough, both Debussy and Faure making bonfires of what they thought of as their musical failures. Weber wrote “Shall I ever again find a single thought within me? Now there is nothing - nothing. I feel as if I had never composed a note in my life, and that the operas could never have been really mine” (Harvey, 1965, p. 26).

Harvey writes that a creative artist cannot always fully express his feelings at the moment when he is feels them: “A frenzied Roland could not write Orlando

Furioso” (as cited in Harvey, 1965, p. 70). Tchaikovsky stated that emotions, sad or joyful, can only be expressed retrospectively (Harvey, 1965, p. 26). Mozart wrote in

1790, “If people could see into my heart I should almost feel ashamed. Everything is cold – as cold as ice” (as cited in Harvey, 1965, p. 10). Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, writing very openly about the difficulties that often come with being a musician, said

“loss may be a big thing, but what remains becomes even more important than ever.

Just never let go of the thread” (in the liner notes of Testament, Jarrett, 2009). Lloyd

114 Webber’s Jeeves (1996) was a commercial failure, and as a result he started a festival that he holds once a year at the theatre in his home, Sydmonton Court, so that he could test new ideas before a small audience before going staging them publicly.

Also, as a result of the failure, he decided that music would lead the plot in his future musicals (Ross, 2011). Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle (1964) lasted for only nine performances (Mellers, 1994, p. 238). Even in the face of calamity, the show produced one of Sondheim’s most famous songs ‘There won’t be Trumpets’.

There is an element of mystery, which I have found is a part of my compositional process, and this force is either there or not. Schuller writes:

The fact that there are unrevealed and incomprehensible mysteries in the creative-

arts process and in our evaluation of its products does not disturb me, although it

arouses my curiosity. But I don't have to know how something works in order to

use it (Lapidaki, 2007, p. 93).

When that element is not there, I have found there is no single way to find fresh inspiration again except to keep believing that something will happen. In time something will eventuate although it is often difficult to get motivated. My experience is that waiting is difficult, but each time I create I learn something new.

Summary

I have found that my risk-taking approach needs to be carefully balanced by collaboration with others who have more experience in putting on musical theatre performances, and who can rein in some of my wilder ideas. However collaboration at its best can bring out the superior creative ideas and lead to performances that are truly enhanced by the stimulation of practice, the narrative structure, the textual enrichment, the motif additions, and above all, the amount of thought and preparation that has gone into their creation.

115

116 Chapter Five: Exploding Hymns

The premise that I annunciated at the start of this thesis is that my music is usually built on a rich hymn-like harmonic basis but quickly moves from simplicity to complexity as a subversion of a scaffolding approach. It works through a specific set of eight principles which are both musical and educative, and permeates my work in order to reach my ultimate aims of presenting children with escapist imaginative ideas which have transformative connotations. The set of eight specific principles which I adopt are musically: eclectic ideas and imagination, tangential relationships, combinations of elements, harmonic and timbral colour, and organic musical design leading to relentless climaxes. Secondly, from the educative side of my personality several principles emerge: textual and lyrical zaniness, juxtaposition between structure versus architecture, and moving from scaffolding to simultaneous levels.

In this chapter I shall analyse short extracts from the three works which make up my portfolio: The Magic Jungle (musical-theatre for voices and chamber orchestra),

Megan and the eBike (a school musical) and Megan and the eBike Suite (for didjeridu and chamber orchestra).

Part 1: The Magic Jungle

In analysing three examples in The Magic Jungle I shall show how a simple hymn- like base, in the song ‘My Magical, Musical Friends’, is coloured with French impressionist harmonies to provide more sensuousness and emotion, as in Debussy’s

Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (referred to on pp. 98-99). In a second example,

‘Snake’, I will show how I have added variety to increase intensity. The third example,

117 ‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ shows how simple chords have had jazz colouring added, which has allowed the orchestrator to burst into a wild display of colour and rhythms, and an almost Bernstein ‘big band’ sound, as demonstrated in Prelude, Fugue and Riffs

(Bernstein, 1949).

Types of colour-harmony

‘My Magical, Musical Friends’

One example of music which has evolved from a four part hymn-like harmonic basis is ‘My Magical, Musical Friends’ (see annotations below stave in Example 5.1). The simple chord structures have been embellished by colour-sonority. It makes use of French harmonic colour ideas, such as intervals of sevenths and of dominant major ninths, which I referred to when discussing Debussy’s and Fauré’s harmonic languages The music is rooted in the nostalgic textual intension in the lyrics, which involved saying goodbye and the hope that memories would remain, and so the harmonic sensuousness which I have tried to create gives a ‘yearning for something beyond’ feel to the music.

118

Example 5.1: The Magic Jungle, ‘My Magical, Musical Friends’ (bars 1-14)—‘hymn-like’ chord structures embellished by colour15- sonority.My Magical, Musical Friends

3 3

Rosie b b œ j œ œ œ œ & b b c œ œ ˙ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ You˙ areœ myœ magœ - i - cal- muœ - sic - alœ friends. No matter if I'm far - a - way, I'llœ

3 3 b b œ œ j œ œ œ œ & b b c ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ œ œ œ˙ œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Piano Abmaj9 Ab Dbmaj9 Bb7 Œ ‰ j ? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bbbb c w œ œ œw œ œ ˙. œ w

5 3 3 b b & b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ ˙ Œ Œ œ œ œ thinkœ ab-out you ev-ery day. I'llœ seeœ -you in - my dreams. You˙ areœ myœ magœ -i -cal,-muœ -sic-alœ

5 3 3 b œ œ b bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œœ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ Pno. E 7sus4 Ab/C b Ab Ab Ab œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ? b œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b bb w w w w œ

10 b b j œ œ œ œ œ œ & b b ˙ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ ˙ Ó friends. No mat-ter if I'm far - a-way,I'llœ thinkœ a boutyou eve-ry day. I'llœ seeœ -you in - my dreams.

10 b b œ œ œ œ œ & b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ Pno. B 9 F m7/B A /C A 11/C E 7sus4 Dbmaj7 b b b b b Ab ‰ j œ œ œ œ ? b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ b bb ˙. œ w w œ

‘Ssss says the Snake’

‘Ssss says the Snake’ from The Magic Jungle starts in F minor and both the lyrics and the music were deliberately kept extremely simple so that children could remember

119 them. Educationally, I envisaged it as a way to help teach Chinese-speaking children the pronunciation of the sound ‘s’. The song uses diatonic harmony, and starts out organically

(see Example 5.2, bars 42 to 46) growing from that basis. The villainous snake, playing an oboe, has a leitmotif which then turned into the basis of a song, ‘Ssss says the snake’.

Envisioning a snake charming scenario with the snake emerging from its wicker basket

10 "Ssss" Says the Snake was the 42musical influence for ‘The Snake’. I wrote predominately with the Indian pungi Nar. b b instrument’s& b b timbre " in mind, as this" traditionally " plays in a snake" charming ceremony."

Tim bb b j Œ. " The pungi& isb made from a driedœ. gourdœ. at oneœ endœ and, two reed or bamboo pipes called the Ooœ oooœ Oooœ. Ooo ooo ooo œ oooœ œ œ oooœ. sssss jivala,Rosie at theb bother (Dick, Oxford Music Online, 2011). . & b b j œ. œ. œ œ Œ " Ooœ oooœ Oooœ. Ooo ooo ooo œ oooœ œ œ oooœ. sssss Example 5.2: The Magic Jungle, ‘Ssss says the Snake’ (bars 42 to 46)—diatonic harmonies. Max b b . & b b j œ. œ. œ œ Œ " Ooœ oooœ Oooœ. Ooo ooo ooo œ oooœ œ œ oooœ. sssss … …œ. …œ. œ. …œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ …œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ob. b b œ œ J & b b Œ Œ ‰ f F F ƒ

b b & b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ bœ œ œ nœ œ œœ bœœ nœ œ nœ œ œ œ Pn. ˙. œ ˙. œ œ P F f j j ? b b œ œ œ b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ (!)

Following47 this section, the song moves quickly from simplicity to complexity and f Nar. bb b " " " Œ ‰ " & b [Mimic how the snake would sing, œ œ œ "Oooh,. . . it develops into an almost operaticfalsetto piece if possible] when the snake sings in falsetto voice with Tim bb b " " " " " " flamboyant& b extravagance in its vocal gestures which gives the feeling of being in a

Rosie b recitative& style.b bb The "words in the vocal" line are" not rhymed," and the accompaniment" " uses

Max b chords and& b bb decorative" grace notes". I used harmonic" -colour" and textural" colouring" to

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ …œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ m m produceOb. wordb b painting.œ œ The finalœ dissonantœ œ harmony achievedœ isœ more reminiscent of & b b # ‰ # ‰ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ Œ ‰ " F ƒ P Stravinsky or Bartok, with chromatic clashes (bars 86 - 87) and the timbral colour of the b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b b œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ. œ. ˙. ˙˙. œ œ clarinets combinedœ œ œ withœ œ thœ e dissonanceœ. œ. which˙. widened˙ . the harmonic palette provides, Pn. F P œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? œ œ bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ ˙. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. 120 produces an effect that is unlike any other piece in The Magic Jungle thus providing variety. Bars 83 to 84, in the piano score, place the right hand an octave higher and the left hand an octave lower. This three octave gap provides variety within the song (see

Example 5.3).

Rhythmically the piece changes time signatures moving from 5/4 to 3/4 to 6/8 to

12/8. This is intended to provide an effect of uncertainty and confusion, which might communicate elements of fear to children. Bars 84 and 85 use decorative circular figures in the clarinet parts.

Eclectic ideas, such as the snake wanting to show off her magic tricks and to frighten small children alone in the jungle, prompted the lyrics of this song and the music developed to match the words. There is a touch of zaniness in the idea of a snake singing a recitative about her power and magic accompanied by strident twentieth century harmonies. The combination of all these elements moved ‘Snake’ from scaffolding to simultaneous levels.

121

Example 5.3: The Magic Jungle, ‘Snake’ (bars 70 to 87)—organic growth leading to musical features evoking magic and power. 10 - Snake 87 70 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ob. b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ " F Nar. b f & b bb " " Œ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ "YouJ see allJ the oth - er ! > > > bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. & ˙. Pn. f> > > >. > ? œ. œ. œœ. b˙. bbbb œ. Œ. œ. Œ. œ. Œ. ˙.

[clarinets] 74 3 œ Ob. b b 9 6 3 œ œ œ 5 & b b " 8 " 8 " 4 4 P ƒ Nar. b œ. œ . & b bb œ œ 89 œ œ nœ œ œ œ ‰ œ 86 œ Œ ‰ 43 " 45 an - i- mals have mu-sic - al in-stru-ments - to play.

3 b œ j j b bb œœ 9 œ nœ œ œ ‰ œ 6 œ Œ Œ 3 5 & b œ œœ œœ 8 œ œ œ œ œ 8 bœ 4 œ œ œ œ 4 Pn. F f P . . . œ ? b˙. 9 nœœ. œœ. œ. 6 œ 3 5 bbbb ˙. 8 . 8 œ œ 4 " 4

78 3 3 >œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ Ob. b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b bb 45 œ œ œ 43 œ œ 86 " " Œ ‰ f f S> Nar. bb b 5 " 3 Œ Œ ‰ j 6 œ. œ œ œ Œ. & b 4 4 œ 8 J J œ. œ œ bœ. But I have the po-wer> a-round here.> 3 3 > œ œ j j œœ b b 5 œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ œ 6 œ. œ œ œœ œ œ & b b 4 œ œ œ 4 œ œ 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ. . œ œœ. œ œ. Pn. f F > > > œ > œ. nœ >œ b>œ ? bb b 45 " 43 œ Œ Œ 86 œ. œ j œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ nœ œ œ œ œ

122 10 - Snake 88 [clarinets] 83 >œ œ > bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ob. b œ œ œ œ œ œ & b bb Œ ‰ 128 Œ ‰ Œ ‰ 86 Œ ‰ P ƒ Nar. b b 12 6 & b b Œ ‰ Œ ‰ 8 # 8 bœ Œ œ œ >I have the ! > œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ bbbb œœ œ œ 12 œœ œ œ Œ ‰ 6 & bœ. 8 bœ. œ. 8 b˙. Pn. F> > ? bœ 12 bœ. œ. 6 bœ j bbbb œ œ œ 8 œ. œ. œ. œ. 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ " 86 [Harp] >œ. nœ bœ œ œ nœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ob. b b Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ & b b œ œ œ f Nar. b b > > & b b bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ ‰ po> - wer> and the mag - ic!J b b & b b œ. œ. œ. Œ ‰ œ. œ. œ. Pn. f F ? b œ œ œ b bb œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ > [clarinets] 88 œ œ œ œ œ œ. MotifOb. typesb œ œ œ & b bb # # # # ‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ f Nar. b b . >œ & b b œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ j The ideaI of combiningcanœ turn one in -struelements-mentœ inœ toœ ofan - otha rap- erJsong withwith a -swinga - clap - grooveofœ myœ saxophoneœhands." œ. and jazz orchestration,b b with the addition of the humorous natureœ of the lyrics, providedj a breakj & b b œ œ œ œœ. œ œœ œœ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ Pn. œ . nœ œ bœ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ from the story-line and variety as it is placed between two slower songs. ‘Snap, Crocodile, ? b Snap’ has onlyb bb tangential connection to the œmainœ œplot,œ œ butœ is deliberately placed where it is œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. for the sake of the young audience, as a moment of relaxation from concentration on the narrated story. Harmonically the piece uses many jazz chords (see Figure 5.4), such as

Fmin11/6 and Fmaj13 in bar 3.

123 9 Snap, Crocodile, Snap Example 5.4: The Magic Jungle, Sample of chords used in ‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ f Soprano Narrator j j j & b 4 ¿ Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ Œ Ó Ó Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Snap, croc - o dile,- snap! We're do-ing the croc-o-dile

4 ˙ #˙˙ & b 4 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙˙ n# ˙ 6˙ ˙11˙ 6˙ ˙11˙ ˙ ˙˙ Piano F˙ C˙ F˙ C˙ nFm#11/6˙˙ F˙maj13 F6/9 Bb9/F ? 4 w w w w b 4 w w w w

5 S j j & b ¿ Œ Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ rap! Put a smile on your face, you can't feel sad when you

5 > ˙˙ œœ j & b b ˙ n œ œœ œ œ Œ j œœ œ œ Pno. Fm6(maj7) D m7 œ œ Cœ9 œ Cœ9 Cœ7 œ œ w ˙ œ œ ? w w ˙ b w

8 S & b ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ Ó pop your wor - ries in a croc-o-dile bag and snap, croc-o-dile snap!

8 œ ˙ œ œ œ œ & b œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ b˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ Cœ9œ œœ œC1œ1 œ C1œ1 C 1œ3 Cb1œ1(b9) bB ˙m9 Cœ7 œ B aœug6/G Pno. œ œ œ œ b b ? w w b˙ œ œ b w w b ˙ Œ œ œ œ œ nœ bœ œ

After I provided these colouring ideas, Bill Connor, in his orchestrations, kept the © same swing feel and developed the mood and texture about which we had talked. Bill’s

first idea was to insert a seven bar introduction representing the crocodile in the swamp

‘waking up’ which then led into the original two bar introduction. He included plenty of

124 pizzicato strings, a jazz guitar sound on the synthesizer, and had a structural plan for each verse, leading to a final verse and chorus in ‘big band’ style (see Figure 5.5). The basic keys I used were F, modulating through an Ab7 to a Db, and then a return to F.

Figure 5.5 The Magic Jungle. Orchestration used in ‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’

Analysis Bill Connor’s ideas and orchestrations A bars 1-7 added Add an extra seven bars of crocodile ‘waking up’ solo saxophone A bars 8-9 Saxophone with ‘snap’ pizz on strings, piano, and synthesizer introduction B bars10-20 verse 1 Saxophone, piano, ‘jazz guitar’ on synthesizer, pizz crotchets, bass, bassoon, guiro C bars 21-24 chorus Drum and percussion added B bars 25-35 verse 2 Clarinet, horn and trumpet added. Synthesizer plays minims, flutes added, then cello. C bars 36-39 chorus Pizz strings added. B bars 40-50 verse 3 Snap pizz chords on strings. At bar 38 orchestration goes back to saxophone, piano, synthesizer, and drums. C bars 51-54 chorus Flutes, clarinet, bassoon, arco minims on strings, pizz bass B bars 55-65 verse 4 Full orchestra – use of differing cross rhythms between instruments. Horn and trumpet feature enter at bar 48-52 and from 57 to end with loud off-beat accented crotchets. C bars 66-69 chorus Full orchestra - ‘big band’ feel crescendo to climax.

There are lighter moments in the orchestration, such as at bar 38 when the instrumentation is pared back to saxophone, piano, synthesizer and drums. Rhythmically and texturally there was an opportunity to build up to a ‘big band’ swing texture for the final verse and chorus, somewhat akin to Bernstein’s style in Prelude, Fugue and Riffs where he used a solo clarinet with a band “highlighting trumpets and trombones in the prelude, a quintet of saxophones in the fugues … and the solo clarinet with the entire band in the concluding riffs” (Huscher, 2010). Of course it was not possible to replicate a quintet of saxophones, in a chamber orchestra which included only one trumpet and one horn, but the orchestration in ‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ which substitutes solo saxophone for Bernstein’s solo clarinet. The unrelenting rhythms in the last four bars of the song add to the tension so that the song builds up to a final climax (see Figure 5.6). The jazz

125 techniques which Bernstein described as being the major scale with the possibility of a lowered third, fifth and seventh. There were also the “blue notes” which are “notes in between the notes.” Bernstein goes on to say “This so-called jazz scale is used only melodically. In the harmony underneath, we still use our old unflatted notes … these very dissonances have a true jazz sound” (Bernstein, 1956, cited in Helgert, 2008, p. 56).

The fact that a single crocodile playing his saxophone can be portrayed by using a huge orchestra aims to bring some humour to the song.

126 Example 5.6: The Magic Jungle, Bill Connor’s orchestration of ‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ (bars 66 - 69)—orchestral ‘big band’ colour, and a swing texture. 15 66 67 68 69 66                 Fl.1                                76  3 7 f   Fl.2                        Ob.                   Alto Sax.                          76       3 7 f  Cl.2                           Bsn.                                    Hn.                           Tpt.                      Timp.         Perc.                                   Dr.                    

 Nar                      Snap, snap, croc- o - dile, snap, snap, croc- o - dile Snap to thecroc- o - dile, croc- o - dile rap!

Tr. Solo                      Snap, snap, croc- o - dile, snap, snap, croc- o - dile Snap to thecroc- o - dile, croc- o - dile rap! vibra slap     Hp.      f    Tr.                            3 Snap, snap, croc o dile.- snap, snap, croc -dile!o- Snap to the croc o- dile croc o- d i l e rap ff 3  Tr.                      Snap, snap, croc o dile.- Snap, snap, croc o-dile! Snap to the croc - dile Croc o-dile rap!(snap)                                       Synth.                                   Pno. f                                  66  arco  snap pizz. Vln. I               mp arco snap pizz. Vln. II                mp snap pizz. arco        Vla.         arco mp  snap pizz.       Vc.         mp        Cb.                  [Narrator] No sooner had the crocodile returned to the swamp than that hissing noise started again. [Orchestra] Ssssss.

127 Structure:

My aim in the structure of The Magic Jungle was to provide stylistic and mood variety to keep the attention of the audience, so that juxtaposition of the styles in the structure was essential (see Figure 5.7). Each section was designed to teach something musical, and also to help Chinese-speaking children with their English, whether the children were aware of it or not. For the sake of children in the audience who did not understand English well, a short Chinese language synopsis of each scene was printed in the programme, so that a parent could explain the story to their child. I tried to make each of the sections musically different from the sections before and after.

Once the whole structure is analyzed it can be seen that most of the seventeen sections have discrete segments within them, some with narration and then song, some with conversation, some completely instrumental, so that there are altogether forty-five segments which creates diversity within the cohesive whole of the story.

Eclectic ideas and imagination such as elephants playing the bass led to ‘Elephants

Thud’ which brought out characteristics in the music, such as the 5/4 rhythm and awkward heavy and plodding musical feel. One idea always led to another, and tangential relationships such as a monkey taking the children to the magic jungle in a cardboard box led in to the idea of the monkey personally greeting his mother and father, who were part of the violin section, in ‘My Family Tree’. Combinations of elements such as each animal playing a musical instrument, which was one of the basic musical and educational points of The Magic Jungle, led to the final song ‘Magic Jungle’ where each instrument was introduced one by one. The harmonic and timbral colour of the song ‘Jogging in the

128 Jungle’ introduced children to the sound of a clarinet, and organic musical design leading to relentless climaxes was demonstrated in ‘Into the Storm’.

Educationally, each section had its own didactic: the text in the song “Lions Love to Roar” was an example of using sounds which are difficult for Chinese speaking children to pronounce, in this case “l” and “r” (see Appendix 1, Chang, 2001, pp. 224-237 on page 214). Although the plot and the music started very simply, I tend to move from one style to another very quickly which can be seen in the multiple macrocosmic and contrasting themes within microcosmic sections (see Figure 5.7). Of course these ideas do not claim to be a teaching method of the English language, but rather aim to provide some interesting ways of supporting classroom learning.

Figure 5.7: Diagram showing some of the varieties of styles used in The Magic Jungle.

The Magic Jungle Structure

Scene Musical Educational Tempi/melody/harmony/ Analysis - Bars Styles/ Purpose rhythm/texture

1 Spoken text Introduction Start of the A = 105 Moderato. A Narrator story. Visual Key: C major. Melody A bars 1-10 With full interest for and harmony are Hymn- A repeated bars orchestra - slow, children in like four part harmony. 11-20 grandiose audience as Rhythmically increasing opening. monkey features/thickening in somersaults out texture and intensity. of box. B bar14 = 120 a little B bar 21 variety faster / then growing in of background anticipation/ascending music used to atonal melody and bring harmony going through prominence to changes of key. words.

129

Song: The words of C Song Allegro = 120. C bars 52 - 73 C Monkey – the song are Key: C major. Melody is first verse of ‘pop song’ in easy and are simple, and uses many song swing style repeated several triplets. Harmonies ‘Living in the times. include many 6ths, 7ths, Magic Jungle’. and 9ths. Bars 70-73 Rhythmically provide a staccato ending syncopated. to song for variation. Texturally full orchestra in D bars 74-91 middle D bars 74 bright, up-beat section of song goes interlude in song style. through key changes of with narration G7, C, Bb7, Eb, F, G, F/C then children Middle section is to Em. Narration, then singing. narrated, children sing in interlude followed by music. children singing. C section is repeated. C bars 92-114

Dialogue Discussion E bars 115-158 = 105 E bars 115-158 E Spoken section between Straight Moderato . Key: between Rosie children is C major. Narration and and Tim. Simple important for dialogue from children background audience to [spoken] over varied music, which understand. background music, mostly becomes more Excitement for slower chords with single exciting towards audience as instruments. Slower the end. children go into chords (taken from the box with the interlude of song) then monkey. using ‘Ring a ring of roses’ tune over stasis. Staccato ending of song used as a feature. ‘Telephone’ ringing sound played on piano and xylophone. Texture is light. Drone on G is a feature.

F anticipation mounts towards climax F bars159 -170 representing box taking off with final arpeggio and glissando.

130

2 Magic Song Introducing: = 120 Rhythmic swing A bars 1-10 Jungle Sung by monkey playing Introduction Song Key: E major Narrator. violin, toucan Rhythmically syncopated (simplified Moderately fast, playing flute, swing. Texturally bright verses) syncopated pop- rhino playing with full orchestra. influenced song, piano, hippo Percussive introduction with easily playing piccolo. features guiro, shaker, memorable The verses are bongos which accompany chorus. simplified to the whole song. introduce one Melodically simple tune instrument’s which is easily name and memorable for children. animal’s name Harmonically jazzy at a time. “I can chords with many see …” and “I additions of 6ths, 7ths, can hear …” and 9ths. repeated so as to become B chorus. B bars 11-18 familiar. Key change to F major. chorus

C verse C bars 19-38 verse B chorus B bars 39-46 C verse C bars 47-66 B chorus verse B bars 67 – 76 chorus

Narration Narrator D transitional material D bars 77 - 88 With background continues the including descending transitional music story as Max chromatic scale material. and children representing box landing. arrive in the Slow chords. Jungle.

3 Jogging Song Introducing: = 120. Jazz swing In the Jazz Swing. Clarinet and Key: D major. Jungle Narrator sings jazz. Rhythmically highly with children and Pronouncing the syncopated. Texturally bright. Max joining in “j” sound. A bars 1-7 on choruses. A Lightly and sprightly Introduction - jazz swing. Humorous . clarinet words which have chromatic influenced an upbeat jazz introduction melody and harmonies. leads into 5 bars Harmonies include 6ths, of verse. 7ths, 9ths, and 11ths. B bars 8-11 B verse verse

C chorus

131 C bars 12-19 chorus

D Instrumental interlude D bars 20-25 with clarinet descant over Instrumental music from the verse. interlude - clarinet descant with music from the verse. E bar 32 Slightly slower. E bars 27-29 verse (piano) = 110 bar 37 Slower still. = 100 bar 40 a tempo F bars 32-43 F = 120 Bridge uses bridge harmonies of bar 32 D minor, bar 36 B minor, bar 39 A7, bar 40 F#7 B major 7, bar 41 E minor. bar 45 A minor. B bars 44-47 verse C bars 48-56 final chorus with clarinet descant.

4 My Family Narration = 120 Jazz swing A Introduction Introducing: Key: B minor bars 1-9 bars 1-7 repeat Tree Introduction uses Triple time of Jogging in bar 10 Key: G7. ‘Jogging’ theme, bar 10 Change to triple the Jungle verse followed by time. B bars 8-11 chromatic Chromatic descending scale. descending scale leads to sustained G7 chord in bar 11

Song Vocabulary on C = 120 Tenderly. C introduction Monkey sings family: Key: C minor. to song bars 12- (tenor) with full Father Bars 10-18 Solo violin 18 orchestra. Mother plays melody of verse as Nostalgic waltz. Other kinds of introduction. C bar 19 verse monkeys: such Melody is gentle and of song Focusing on as orangutans ‘soothing’. Harmonically violins/monkeys. and gorillas. the verse is in C minor. Many accidentals used, Rhythmically in Central section and voice leading in the gentle waltz provides bass part. format. questions and Texturally light. answers on D Chorus is in Eb major which animals and is livelier than verse. D bars 37-46

132 Central section the children chorus sung over gentle might like to be. E Central section is sung E bars 47–65 stasis. They decide to over stasis with delicate interlude remain flute and chordal themselves. accompaniment in C minor.

F Bridge to second verse F bars 66-78

C second verse in C C bars 79-95 minor. verse

D chorus in Eb major. D bars 96-106 chorus

F Thickening in texture F bars 107-120 and rhythmic intensity ending with towards the end of the some chorus second section. Bass material and notes descend downwards introduction of towards Eb. ‘Elephants’ bass chords.

5 Elephants Song Introducing: Plodding = 95 A introduction Thud Narrator sings. irregular metre, bars 1-2 Key: F minor. Melody Bass. sung in low tessitura. Featuring “th” in “thud” Harmonies are complex B song bars 3- elephants playing repeated many with dischordal material. 11 the bass. times, which is Rhythmically slow and . a difficult awkward. 5/4 time, with C ending bars phonic sound different time signatures 12-13 for Chinese- added to suit the rhythm speaking of the words. Texturally children. very heavy and dense Rhythm of the harmonisation. spoken word ‘elephants’ has dictated the rhythm of song. It is an educational advantage to start learning the rhythm of English.

133

Dialogue Monkey tells The same musical format A bars 14-15 Followed by children as for the previous section repeat of dialogue between important of ‘Elephants Thud’. The introduction Max and the information same rhythm and texture B bars 16-24 children. about the Magic as ‘Elephants Thud’. repeat of song Jungle which but dialogue is children in the used and not audience need singing to understand. C bars 25-28 ending

6 Leopards, Short song A bit spooky = 100 A bars 1-17 Monkey sings Key: F minor Giraffes and Max sings about a secret in Baboons A Harmonies are the same in‘Operatic- the jungle. as for ‘Elephants Thud’. influenced’ style from bars 1-17.

Introducing: B Key: C minor. Same B bars 18-55 Leopards melodic and harmonic playing Clarinet material as ‘My Family duet. Tree’ but with clarinet duet added.

Instrumental Giraffes playing C Key: Eb major. Quiet, C bars 56-66 Clarinet descant Viola. gentle texture. slow chordal over music from Transitional material material ‘My Family Baboon playing through keys of F minor, Tree’. the Bassoon. Bb minor, bar 62 F minor, and to E7. Short duet with D Key Gb major. Bassoon D bars 67-77 clarinets and melody with violas. bassoon. bar 77 Eb major ending.

7 The Spoken text. Orchestra Introducing Lively Allegro = 120 Narrator trumpet.Impala Key: Ab major. playing the Rhythmically gentle Feature is music: trumpet, and music from ‘My Magical Snake motif and leopards Friends’. Texturally quiet woodblock playing cellos. and light. rhythm. Narrator speaks about the snake A Trumpet reveille, A bars 1-8 for the first time followed by Trumpet reveille and children learn why there B cellos feature (bar 9) B bars 9-14 is trouble in the playing melody from ‘My jungle. Magical, Musical Friends’ B bars 15-27 both accompanied by C bars 28-32

134 piano. Melodically the snake motif. piece uses material from this song, which is lyrical with French influences in the harmonies. (see Example 5.1 on page 20).

Orchestra The concept of B Piu Lento = 96 B bars 33-38 attempt to tune, tuning the Key: Ab major. orchestra goes and fail. orchestra, and Orchestra plays while out of tune E Dialogue going ‘off key’. Narrator speaks. between Narrator Role of the Orchestra deliberately and Conductor. conductor to goes out of tune. keep the beat. D conductor tries to D bars 39 correct the problem. Conductor’s baton taps

E bars 40-53 G.P. followed by attempts to tune and narration.

Instrumental with narration Children can F = 108 Moderato. F bars 54-76 listen to atonal From bar 54 No key or atonality caused Dissonant music to see if tonal base. by lack of harmonies. they like it. Rhythmically, the music tuning the Narrator tries to goes haywire. The texture instruments. speak above becomes confused, thick (Orchestra is cacophony. and murky. allowed to play anything they like in this part and can improvise on the score if they wish).

8 The Spoken Text Introducing Sinister. Allegro = 120 Miserable Narration over Snake playing A introductory Snake A 6/8 time. Rhythmically quiet start, which oboe. very slow chords, and material. leads to oboe Description of quiet. Texturally theme in minor the snake’s instruments shine above key. character in the stasis. spoken part. Introductory series of chords – Bb minor, Eb

135 major, C minor 7/F, and F are played four times. Melodies played by individual instruments: flute, clarinet, horn, trumpet, and cello are featured above this bass. Harmonies played by marimba, synthesizer and piano.

B Snake motif played by B bars 26-30 oboe. The motif sounds snake motif threatening. bar 30 Change to 3/4 time.

Song The C song. Allegro =.120 C bar 32 first ‘The Miserable characteristics Key: Bb minor verse of song Snake’ – of the snake are Dejected voice. Melody is bar 33 change to melancholy - described in mournful and words self- 4/4 time sung in operatic, song. pitying. bars 38-40 falcetto, Harmonies change to bars 41-58 in mimicking the major when lyrics reach 4/4 voice of the “if she sees you having C bars 59-86 snake, by fun without you” but second verse of Narrator. quickly return to minor. song Rhythmically, song has bars 65-67 several changes of time, change to 3/4 to show the bar 68 back to unpredictability of the 4/4 snake’s character. Texture bar 78 in 2/4 is melodramatic. bar 79 in 4/4 B final snake motif seems (sound of ominous and threatening, woodblock) followed by woodblock B bars 87-89 motif. snake motif

9 Snap, Song Introducing: Allegro = 120 Swing A bars 1-9 Humorous. Saxophone Key: F major. Introduction Crocodile Vibrant jazz The concept of B verse 1 bars Snap Melody is played by [played by rap music. Tap saxophone, as song is 10-20 crocodile on dancing. spoken in ‘rap’ style. C chorus bars saxophone with Blends “sn” Harmonically very jazzy 21-24 full orchestra]. “cr” “cl” “t”. chords, with 4ths, B verse 2 bars augmented 6ths, 7ths, and 25-35 diminished chords. C chorus bars Rhythmically swing style. 36-39 Texturally thick jazz B verse 3 bars chords which can provide 40-50 basis for full orchestra, C chorus bars rising to a climactic 51-54 ending. B verse 4 bars 55-65 Key changes through Ab7 C chorus bars

136 to Db in bar 39 to add to 66-69 excitement. Bar 54 key change back through C7 to F major in bar 55.

10 The Snake Song Practice of the Allegro. = 110 Sinister A bars 1-14 “s” sound, and Key: F minor Introduction Narrator sings “sn”, and long Melody grows organically B bars15-22 “a” in snake. through the introduction. verse Oboe enters at bar 11 C bars 23-32 using a ‘snake-charming’ B bars 33-40 influenced mode. verse bars 23-32 oboe becomes C bars 41-49 more forceful. oboe interlude

‘Operatic Recitative’ Allegro = 110 Key: F D bars 50-121 Children can minor. Rhythmically ‘Operatic Narrator listen to another varied time signatures, Section’ (impersonating kind of singing. with many decorative bar 106, and bar the snake’s voice semiquavers in 110 woodblock - falsetto) woodwind. Texturally motif thick at times, but sparse bars 117-121 at others. Oboe and woodblock clarinets punctuate rhythm singer’s statements. influences Singer becomes forceful music. and strident when discussing ‘power’. Melodically ‘Snake charmer’ influenced mood and harmonies finally ending modulating to a single G.

11 Giraffe, Spoken text Allegro = 120 Lively. Narrator teaches Key: starts in but Ab maj A bars 1-4 Tiger Orchestra make concepts of melody from Lion or but moves through animal noises, high several changes to F Giraffe song Zebra either vocally or pitched/low major at bar 9. bars 5-10 instrumentally pitched notes, Bar 14 moves to C minor. melody from (horn imitates an pizz/arco lion song. elephant blown/bowed, B bars 11-14 trumpeting). rolled/plucked, rising chromatic Introduction of soft/loud. scale. different Vocabulary on C bars 15-34 instrumental orchestra, Melody from sounds listening and Tiger song used accompanied by playing to underpin and strong chords instruments demonstrate all from the ‘Tiger together. the examples of song’ played high rhythmically. pitched/low

137 pitched, etc. Introductory material is followed by medley of four songs in different styles. Syncopated rhythm.

Giraffe song: Giraffe Song = 120 Introducing: Key: C A bars 35-39 Features violas. viola and ‘g’ bars 35 Melodically introduction sound simple tune in or four A bars 40-57 bars, with key changes to Giraffe song Am/B minor. Harmonically there is use of ascending scales representing height of a giraffe. Rhythmically it is a Rumba dance-like melody with backing by cabassa, congas and claves. Texture is light and predominately moved forward by the percussive instruments.

Tiger song

Features Demonstration Tiger Song = 100 C Bars 58-66 frightening of Chinese Key: Bb introduction to percussion. percussion tiger Melody is strident and Tiger song theme. angular, with rests filled bars 67-84 song. Practice of ‘t’ by intense and frightening and ‘i’ sounds. harmonic chord material. Very strong rhythms. Texture is jagged with many accented notes.

Lion song

Features the Pronunciation Lion Song = 120 with B bars 85-87 conductor/lion of “l” and “r” in a strong beat. rising chromatic who roars – “Lions love to Key: Bb scale. humorous. roar” which are Bright melody, with use D bars 88-112 difficult sounds. of jazzy harmonic colour Lion Song. (7ths and 9ths). Syncopated rhythm with rich texture.

138 Zebra song E Zebra E introduction Features The ‘z’ sound. Military March = 108 bars 113-117 percussion, horn Useful words to With a strong beat. F bars 118-135 and trumpet in a learn: Key: C. song military march. Left/right and Melodically it uses a front/back. small range of notes, with much use of tone and semitone movements. Harmonically driven forward by walking bass. Rhythmically strong, and syncopated. In strict time with use of side drum, trumpet and horn. Texturally strong due to strict rhythm.

12 Spoken text. Opening theme = 120 Allegro A bars 1-11first Into the ‘Bach’ theme Storm Key: D minor. Arch shaped influenced Melodically starts with A bars 12-22 architecture. fugue. bass, adds cello, viola, theme is second violins, and finally repeated String section first violins. A bars 23-28 six featured in Harmonically each theme bars of theme opening of entry adds to the chord repeated. fugue. basis. Rhythmically B bars 18-23 syncopated. Texturally addition of horn Also features many staccato notes to chorale. horn chorale. emphasize feeling of creeping into a dark jungle and fear of the darkened stage. A Theme in D minor. B Slow chorale by horn above opening theme.

Song fragments Introducing Key: Eb major C bars 29-44 hippo on Melodically these few short song piccolo and bars provide variety from fragments about rhino on piano. the Bach-influenced Hippo and fugue. Harmonically built Rhino. through legato phrases on piano. Rhythmically, though still in the same time signature, legato quaver phrases are used. Texturally, the piccolo and piano are featured, providing variety.

139

Opening Theme Leitmotives Key: D minor A bar 45-54 1st repeated As Tim and Rosie’s theme returns names are mentioned their bars 53-54 Narration motifs are played. Tim’s motif on continues trumpet bars 55-58 Rosie’s motif (Ring a ring of roses)

Narration

Thunder and Description of a Key: D minor D bars 59 lightening storm: D Melodically very low Thunder Thunder chromatic notes for A bars 63-73 1st rumble of distant thunder. theme Rain and wind B bars 67-73 themes Rain horn chorale

E pentatonic ‘feel’ E bars 74-81 Wind Melody is staccato Rain theme portraying ‘rain drops’. F Flute and piccolo F bars 82-84 Lightning ascending and descending Wind theme scales. G Lightning accented G bars 85 atonal chord in high Lightning octave. bars 96-103 crescendo into climax

Instrumental H Key: F# minor H Climax 6/8 time signature. bars 104-150 Central section is Melody is based on the climax of piece, highest notes of minor and has chords, with rolls of ‘Wagnerian’ thunder (low piano influences. chromatics) and lightening (accented atonal chords in high octave) breaking into chord sequences.

Dialogue Key: B minor E Rain theme Rain section bar 160 C minor, bar 163 bars 151-172 G, bar 165 F, triangle, bar 169 F/C, bar 171 F/ but all have pentatonic scales. Melody does not stand out but is very lightly played over the

140 harmonies. Rhythmically changes in time signatures to give the impression of flexibility. Texturally very light, played on flute, with xylophone and rainstick and very quiet piano.

Dialogue Dialogue Key: D minor I bars 173-193 Between snake between snake Cello and piano – Second theme and narrator. and narrator classically influenced which is reveals the second theme. repeated reason for the Melodically strong cello I bars 179-185, snake’s nasty part, with Bach- bars 185-187 character. influenced four-part snake motif Highlights harmonies in piano played on horn cello. accompaniment. I bars 188-195 Rhythmically strong beat. Second theme Texturally provides ends as First alternative to First Theme. Theme enters.

Narration A chance for Key: D minor A bars 194-205 Recapitulation of audience to see recapitulation of first theme the snake for the first theme ending with the first time bar 205 triumphant oboe and hear the Audience descant. oboe. In the participation in story, there is a counting “One, resolution of the bar 208 key change to Two, Three” snake’s A minor A bar 208 first problem. theme in A minor bar 217 oboe descant bar 218-229 first theme repeated with oboe continuing with descant.

13 Oboe Instrumental No words – a = 90 Moderato A bars 1-12 Theme chance for With serenity. oboe theme - children to Key: Bb snake song in a listen to the Melodically, the oboe major key. music. theme is a slow, lyrical A bars 14-26 melody over orchestral theme repeated. stasis. Harmonically bar 15 strings there are many French enter quietly influences. Rhythmically bars 27- 36 slow moving and Flute has melody

141 graceful. Texturally the bars 37-39 oboe and harp are woodwinds featured with full together with orchestral backing from oboe and full bars 37-43. Coda bars 44- orchestra. 47 with minimal Coda bars 44-47 accompaniment, as oboe plays last rising notes.

14 The Next Narration = 108 Lazily. A bars 1-19 Setting the Moderato introduction Morning Description of scene: Key: C major animals. describing the Melodically there are jungle. All fragments of tunes played animals are re- by different instruments. introduced by name and by bar 14 = 100. bar 15 instrument as poco piu lento. they arrive, as a Passing through several chance to keys it returns to G7 at reinforce bar 19 leading in to next learning of section. names and Narration instruments. = 120 Swing B bar 23 ‘Living Use of music Key: C major in the Magic from ‘Living in Jungle’ reprise the Magic Jungle’ song

Song Snake song with = 70 ‘Snake’ song in F B bars 39-59 different words. major. 6/8 time. One verse of Verse of ‘Snake’. ‘Snake song’

Tuning the Concept of Oboe plays A, followed C bars 60 ‘tap, orchestra playing ‘in by example of an tap, tap’ of tune’. orchestra being tuned. baton.

Instrumental Children can Allegro = 120 D bars 65 see the Key G orchestra ‘Eine Kleine difference it Lively Caribbean rhythm. suddenly bursts Nachtmusic’ in makes when an Gradually slowing down into playing Calypso style – orchestra tunes. into the next song. Mozart. humorous in style. Bar 180 = 110, Bar 182 = 108

15 My Magical, Spoken text A chance to Reflectively. = 96 A bars 1-14 Musical Solo violin listen to words. melody from the Friends Piu Lento Key: Ab. introduction. verse.

142

Song = Key Ab. bars 15-16 The two children Vocabulary Peaceful, lyrical, slow introduction sing to the about feelings song: a duet by the two A bars 17-32 monkey and and saying children. verse 1 orchestra. goodbye, but Melodically soulful and B bars 33-46 memories yearning song, tinged chorus lingering on. with nostalgia. A bars 47-62 Harmonically French verse 2 influences. Rhythmically B bars 63-77 slow. Texturally light and chorus very gentle orchestration.

16 bars 1-2 = 108 A bars 1-2 ‘box Ending Narrator The ending of Chromatic scale descending’ [spoken] with the story. descending. motif slow, quiet B bars 3-10 chords from full bar 3 = 120 bars 3 to ‘Introduction’ orchestra. 10 use same melodic melody material as Introduction. C bars 11-14 Each four bar section in C bars 15-19 the following keys uses C bars 20-23 the same melody. C bars 23-26 Keys: C# to G#. C bars 27-34 bar 11 E to bar 14 G. E7th chord build bar 15 G to bar 19 B. up bar 20 to bar 23 .. D bar 35 bar 23 D to bar 26 E7 bar 27 E7 chord which builds up to bar 34. Melodically static, but based on harmonies of background chords. Rhythmic stasis. Texturally, full orchestra but played quietly so voice stands out, bar 35 sudden B7 loud chord to lead into Finale.

17 Song All instruments = 120 Rhythmic swing A b 1-10 Magic Jungle Repeat of song and animals are Introduction Song (Finale) Key: E major but with different referred to by Fast, syncopated pop- B bars 11-18 verses. name in verses influenced song, with chorus as a final easily memorable chorus. C bars 19-38 reminder of all verse the names. A Percussive introduction B bars 39-46 chorus Chorus, verse, chorus. C bars 47-66 bar 46 Key change to F verse major. B bars 67 – 76

143 21

C verse. chorus. B final chorus.

From this analysis it is possible to see that there is an explosion of ideas which

have come from one simple story and a few basic songs. For example, the song ‘Living

in the Magic Jungle’ which is one part of the ‘Introduction’, has a very simple pop song

design (see Figure 5.8) using recurring verse/chorus structure:

Figure 5.8: The Magic Jungle ‘Living in the Magic Jungle’ (which is part of the ‘Introduction’) analysis showing simple pop song design. (Parts A and B form the introductory material, with the Narrator telling the story, and B, C, B, D are the same) both with full orchestral backing. Parts C and D are the song.

A and B bars C bars 52-73 D bars 74-91 C bars 92-114 B,C,B,D bars 1-51 First verse Interlude Repeat first 115-170 Introduction followed by verse continuation to story with Rosie and of story with orchestral Tim singing orchestral backing backing

The songs became more complex later, as shown in ‘Jogging in the Jungle’ (see

Figure 5.9) where an instrumental and transition section (D and E) has been added, and

there is also a bridge section (F).

Figure 5.9: The Magic Jungle ‘Jogging in the Jungle’ showing more complex song design.

A Intro D bars 20 B bars 27 B bars 44 B bars 8 instrumental verse verse verse E bars 26 F bar 43 C bars 48-56 C bars 12 transition bridge chorus chorus

In the song ‘My Family Tree’ (see example 5.10) an introduction (A, B, and C)

leads into the first verse. There is a musical interlude which gives space for narration (E),

144 a bridge (F) and an instrumental ending (D) which uses material from ‘Elephant’ (the

following song) following on Attacca.

Figure 5.10: The Magic Jungle ‘My Family Tree’ showing waltz song with instrumental interludes.

A bars 1-7 C bars 12 D bars37- F bars C bars 79-95 D bars 107- Intro and B instrumental 46 chorus 66-78 verse 120 instru- bars 8 -11 introduction E bars 47- bridge D bars 96- mental chromatic C bars 19 -36 65 musical 106 chorus ending scale and first verse interlude chord

‘Into the Storm’ (Figure 5.11) is the most complex of all the sections, but even this started

off as a simple organic theme (A) and a climax section (H). Other parts, depicting thunder

(D), rain (E), wind (F) and lightning (G) sprang out of it.

Figure 5.11: The Magic Jungle ‘Into the Storm’ analysis of more complex section.

Exposition Development Climax Second Theme Recapitulation

A First H A First Theme B Horn ‘Wagnerian’ E Rain Theme (strings) Chorale Climax A A C Song bars 104 - I Second A ends at A Fragments 150 Theme bar 229 A (cello) D Thunder A I B E Rain F Wind I G Lightning

The fundamental point which I believe has emerged is that the styles used in The

Magic Jungle, such as those mentioned above, which range from pop, jazz, waltz, Bach-

influenced themes and Wagner-like climax, are not usually seen in one production for

145 children. It is true that there was an overall structure for The Magic Jungle which I could compare with an educational ‘lesson plan’ to present English diction and pronunciation to

Chinese-speaking children and to introduce the western orchestra and the way instruments are used and how they sound, but many interesting tangential diversions presented themselves along the way and new segments were added as a result. I found it interesting to note that Leonard Bernstein, whose wish it was to be remembered as a music educator, had several important beliefs about teaching methods:

1. Rather than omitting the lesson plan altogether, recognize the

possibility that student-directed lessons, whether stated as

questions or not, can create an atmosphere of discovery and

excitement.

2. Break complex topics down into meaningful segments from

small to large concepts.

3. Devise lesson procedures that progress from simple to complex

ideas, using musical examples each step of the way.

4. Colour your language with analogies and metaphors to clarify

complex musical topics (Bartram, 2004, p. 20).

As an experienced educator with thirty years piano teaching, I find it interesting that I have unwittingly followed a few of Bernstein’s principles.

Part 2: Megan and the eBike

My intention in creating Megan and the eBike was to write a piece of music theatre which children could perform as a school musical or simply as a collection of songs for a

146 school choir. If a school music department then wanted to turn this into a school musical it could done fairly easily as I visualise that the production could be simple, performed in a school hall with a selection of slides projected onto a back screen depicting the places in the world where Megan is travelling.

The story, which could be narrated by children themselves (the two narrators’ parts could be shared amongst many children), may provide Chinese-speaking children in Hong

Kong with experience in speaking English in public, and by singing English songs a school choir may enjoy a different approach to language learning. Singing songs in

English in Hong Kong is a popular way of helping students learn the language, and Diana

Blom’s musical for children The Golden Bird (1987) is an example.

In Megan and the eBike, I have developed some new compositional techniques, and to illustrate these I shall look at a section of the song ‘Count the Stars’ to see how it has been built on coloured variety of tones and semi-tones. I shall also discuss the

‘technology motif’ which appears whenever the eBike takes off, and is a series of staccato notes and chords with many Bartokian seconds, becoming more rapid, and ascending through a series of chords in root position. To this motif I have also added a

‘malfunction’ warning whenever the eBike is about to break down and this has some darker dissonant extensions of register.

My style has also used some cultural references, such as Chinese influences in the song ‘Leaving for Hong Kong’, which has a four-part hymn-like basis, but has simultaneously used a five note Chinese pentatonic scale and other elements from Chinese music (Thrasher et al., 2011) which I discuss further on page 152.

147 Song structure with coloured-hymn disturbance

‘Count the Stars’

The feeling that I wanted to portray in this song (see Figure 5.12) is one of wonder

and amazement at watching the stars. This is also coupled with the idea that a child might

dream of a journey to the stars or planets, and that nobody should put a limit on their

dreams. The lyrics were written first in this song and the mood that they conveyed

influenced the melody and harmonies.

Figure 5.12: ‘Count the Stars’- song structure.

Mood 1 Mood 1 Mood 2 Mood 1 Mood 3 Mood 1 Mood 3

A bars 1– A bars 11 B bars 29 A bars 38 C bars 54 A bars 63 C bars 81 10 – 28 – 37 – 53 – 62 – 80 – 91 Verse 1 Intro- Alter- Verse 2 Climax 1 Verse 3 Climax 2 duction native material The verse (A) is established in the key of Eb and uses traditional western diatonic

four-part harmonies, influenced by Bach’s chorales. However at bar 29 there is alternative

material (B) which goes through several key changes and leads to many harmonically

unpredictable moments. Moving through Gb/Db and Gb/Bb the chords lead to Db and

then to some soft 2nds in Gb2 in bar 31 related to my jazzy and impressionistic sound

world. The harmony moves through Gb9, A7 and Emsus 4 in bar 33, A, Eb/Gb and Db/F

in bar 34, Db/F and Ebm7 in bar 35, Ebm in bar 36 finally reaching Bbmaj9 in bar 37.

The harmonic colouring has also been changed by sometimes omitting important notes in

the triad, such as in bar 30 when the syllable ‘star’ is only accompanied by one clear

unison note (Db). The link between textual mood and chordal structure can be seen as co-

dependent relatives (see Figure 5.13).

148 Figure 5.13: ‘Count the Stars’ Music and Lyrics: bars 29 – 37.

Music Lyrics

The melody is quite lyrical with the first phrase in ‘Flying away in the starlight’ Eb7. This phrase is repeated. ‘Circling beneath the moon’ This melodic phrase is then repeated in A7 with a ‘Where in the universe shall I fly?’ change to Db/F at bar 34. Followed by the final line which simply uses the ‘Orbiting round the sun’ notes of Ebm7 leading to a final Bbmaj9 chord.

The chromaticism and 2nds added to the chords make the texture richer and thicker

(bars 32-33 in Example 5.14). Rhythmically there is much use of triplets which is often a feature of my compositions, such as in bars 29-31, and 33-36. These triplets can obscure the tonal basis and also unsettle the rhythmic stability, creating a floating quality to the melody over the underlying pulse.

149 Gbadd6/Eb Example 5.14: Megan and the eBike, ‘Count the Stars’ (bars 29 - 37)—Dissonant colourings including added 2nds.

G add6/E Moderato b b 29 q = 108 3 3 Soprano b & b b c Ó œ œ œ bœ œ bœ b˙ Fly - ing a - way in the star - Eb7 3 3 b œ & b b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ bœ œœ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ Piano E 7 Eb7add4/b6 G /B Gbadd6/4 Dbsus4 b b b 3 bœ ? œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œœ bbb c bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ ˙ 3

31 3 S bb œ œ bœ b˙ Ó bœ œ bœ & b ˙ œ bœ 3 light cir - cling be - neath the moon Where in the

3 b bœ bœ bœ œ bœ & b b bœœ œœ œ œ œ bœ œ œœ bœœ œœ n œœ œ3œ œœ bœ œ bœ b œ œ b œ œ œ G 9 G 9 A 7 Pno. b Gb/Db Gb9sus4 Gb/Bb Gb9sus4 Gb9 b Emsus4 œ œ bœ b œ œ b œ œ b œ ? b bœœ œœ bœ œ œ bbœ œ œœ œœ bœœ œœ nb œœ œœ œœ bœ 3 b b 3 œ

3 3 34 3 S b œ œ œ & b b nœ bœ œ ˙ bœ œ bœ bœ œ ˙ 42 ˙ un - i - verse shall I fly? Or - bit - ing roundœ the sun

3 3 3 bb bœ œ œ œ œ ˙ bœ œ œ ˙ 2 ˙ & b bnœ bœ œ ˙ b œ œ œ bœ ˙ 4 ˙ A E /G D /F D /F B maj9 Pno. b b b b Ebm7 Ebm b 3 bœ œ œ œ b˙ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ? b bnœ bœ nœ œ ˙ bœ œ œ bœ ˙ 2 ˙ b b 3 3 4 ˙

150 Leaving for Hong Kong: coloured four-part harmony with Chinese pentatonic influences

‘Leaving for Hong Kong’ is background music while Megan and Ben discuss her forthcoming trip to Hong Kong and Beijing. This provided me with an opportunity to combine elements of Chinese music as subtly as I could with a dialogue that is imaginary though technologically based, and has references to China. This also provides a forward- looking tangential relationship as the music provides a ‘pseudo-Chinese’ feel before

Megan actually starts on her journey there.

The dialogue stresses Megan’s zest for adventure and escapist nature as she just cannot wait to start her journey even though Ben cautions her about the danger of flying an eBike when a typhoon might hit. Although the dialogue is quite zany, I did check whether a small object like a girl on a bicycle would be pulled downwards to earth, or sent upwards into the sky, in a typhoon in Asia. The doctor of physics I asked told me that

Megan would go downwards, and not end up like poor Dorothy, drawn upwards through a twister in The Wizard of Oz from Kansas. So my wacky plot does have an infinitesimal grain of truth in it.

In this particular instance (as shown in Example 5.15) hymn-like harmonies have been subverted by Chinese pentatonism. I have used a pentatonic scale based on an F using the notes: F, G, Bb, C and D. There is no third or leading note in the scale (A and E, in this example). The five pitches use the anhemitonic pentatonic scale (Micic, 1999, p.

31).

151 Example 5.15: Megan and the eBike, ‘Leaving for Hong Kong’ (bars 1 - 9)—Use of Chinese musical elements.

Slow Slow Moderately slow q = 110 q = 110 q = 90 œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Flute œ J œ & b c Œ Œ Œ

œ œ œ & b c œ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ ˙˙ G m7 Piano Ebmaj9 C7sus4 Csus4 C11 Gmsus4 G m11 G m7 Gsus4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b c œ œ œ Œ bœ nœ œ Œ œ œ œ œ

4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Fl. œ œ œ & b Œ

b œ œ œ œœ ˙ œ œœ œ œ œ œ & œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ Gm7sus4 G m7 F 9 C7sus4 F 9 Gmsus4 G m7 Bb9 Gm7sus4 G m7 Bb9 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

7 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Fl. œ œ & b Œ Ó

b œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b˙ œ œ F 6 Fsus4 B 9 Bb6/9 œ b C m9 C m13 Bb9 C m9 F 9 Bb9 œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ? b œ œ ˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ ˙

Jonathan Stock has found that© Jean there Bunton, are 2009 three most frequently used modes for

Chinese erhu music, and these are shown in Figure 5.16. He explains the diagram:

152 “Principal notes in each mode are written as semibreves while the two pitches considered less fundamental to each mode have been filled in” (Stock, 1993, pp. 276-299).

Figure 5.16: Three common modes in traditional music for Chinese fiddles.

I have made use of fourths and fifths in the accompaniment; there is sparse use of harmony and no counterpoint to mimic some of the elements of Chinese music. I have used the flute, as its timbre is close in nature to the Chinese flute, the dizi, or transverse bamboo flute (Thrasher, 2011). As can be seen in Figure 5.17, there are six finger-holes and an extra hole covered with membrane which vibrates to give the characteristic reedy tone. I have also doubled the flute with the piano accompaniment, as the doubling of sounds is typical of a Chinese orchestra and helps to give strength and more characteristically reedy sound of the dizi.

Figure 5.17: The dizi, or Chinese transverse flute.

The di or dizi is made of bamboo, such as ‘purple bamboo’ (zizhu) and ‘arrow bamboo’ (jianzhu). The tube at the blowing end is closed with a cork, but the tube is open at the bottom. There is a blow-hole, a membrane hole and six finger-holes, with two end-holes on the underside which define the length of the vibrating air column and may be used to attach a string or tassel. Thrasher writes that “finger- holes on traditional flutes are roughly equidistant, producing a temperament of mixed whole-tone and three-quarter-tone intervals” (Thrasher, 2011).

153 My use of the ‘hymn-like’ western harmony is still present, but in this instance I have added elements of Chinese modality which stem from influences in my life experiences in Asia. Other composers, such as Guo Zhiyuan, have also mixed Chinese modes and western harmony. Mittler explains Guo’s technique:

Guo’s music is a typical example of ‘pentatonic romanticism’ in its setting

of Chinese pentatonic melodic lines within a harmonic framework

reminiscent of 19th-century Romantic music. One such piece is Minsu

zuqu (1961), in which the composer makes use of early musical

memories, juxtaposing elements of Wagner, Saint-Saëns and Chinese

fiddle music with the rhythms of Chinese operatic music performed at

temple festivals (Mittler cited in Hsu, 2012).

Liu Fang, in a speech to the Julliard School of Music, drew connections between

Chinese music and poetry. “Traditional music in the classical sense is intimately linked to poetry and to various forms of lyric drama, and is more or less poetry without words. In the same manner as poetry, music sets out to express human feelings, soothe suffering and bring spiritual elevation” (Liu Fang, 2008). In this sense my linking of lyrical sensibility with sound synergises with this East-Asian aesthetic present in my Hong Kong living environment.

‘Technology’ – ‘Malfunctioning Machine’ and atonal hymn subversion

In the song ‘Technology’ I used a rhythmic motif to convey the workings of a machine. The technology motif makes use of many Bartokian seconds (which are shown in Example 5.18).

154 Score [Title] [Composer] Example 5.18: ‘Rythmic Dance’ (bars 6-[Subtitle]8) from First Term at the Piano, No 17—Bartok’s use of seconds. [Arranger] - - œ. - - . . j 4 œ. œ- œœ. œ #œ - œ. œ œ œ œ- œ. œ #œ & b 4 J J nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ Piano J J J J J - . . - n œ. œ- œ- œ. - . nœ- œ- œ. - . nœ. - . ? 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b 4 J J J J J J J J

4 At bars 36-38 in ‘Technology’ I have also added a ‘malfunction’ in the machine by & b ! ! ! Pno. way of some dissonant and edgy harmonies, such as an Ab9 chord versus a chromatic A

natural? b and E natural! (in bar 38 of Example 5.19)! , which brings in further! atonality and added unexpected rhythmic ‘glitches in the system’ (see Example 5.19). These notes are 7 played by the horn, trumpet, and bassoon which give a dense clash of strident sounds. & b ! ! ! Pno. They are also played ‘out of rhythm’ against the pulse and accented to give further evidence? that they are unexpected. b ! ! ! My usual starting point, a harmonic base of four-part hymn-like harmony has been

10 sprinkled with textural effects and their sharp cell-colour permeates it to produce very b ! ! ! intense& harmony. Harmonically, simplicity very quickly leads to complexity during the Pno. episodic flights on the eBike, but when the song resumes again at bar 40 the song’s ? b ! ! ! harmonies quickly return to normal.

Rhythmically the ‘technology motif’ starting in bar 35 also moves from simplicity

to complexity. The simple quaver rhythms in both the right and left hands of the piano

part become more intense in bar 37 where the left hand plays semiquavers (along with a © bass clarinet and bassoon taking over the bass line of the piano part). When the music is

orchestrated all these instruments give a completely different timbre and textual colour to

the music. In bar 38 the semiquavers are grouped into triplets giving a greater sense of

155 5 Technology 29

31 B b & b b œ bœ œ Œ ‰ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ Œ œ œ. œ no - lo-gy can do al - most an-y thing, tech - no-lo-gy if you've got

31 b Œ & b b bœ bœ œ œ Œ ‰ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ. œ movement. Finally,b œ inœ bar thirty-nineœ the eBikeœ taœkes off,œ andœ thisœ is signifiedœ by rapidly Pno. J ascending root-position chords- in the right hand to reachœ a climax. . . ? b œ nœœ œœ bœ œ b b bbœ œ œ œ œ Example 5.19: Megan and the eBike, ‘Technology’ (bars 34 - 41)—œ-Example of œ-‘malfunctioning technology’ as horn, trumpet, clarinets and bassoon play complex rhythms. 1 subito [horn, trumpet, clarinets] 34 ƒ B > b j j n œ œ b œœ œ nœ & b b œ bœ œ Œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ! ad - e - quate RAM Tech no-lo-gy Tech - no-lo-gy

34 ...... b œ. œ b b Œ ‰ j œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ bœ œ œ œ. œ. . . œ. . . œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ subito> Pno. f ...... œ. œ. . . . . œ. œ. . . ? œ n œ b >œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ bbb œ nœœ Œ bœœ œ. œ.

BEN [spoken] Ooops, something strange is going on here ... maybe the system is a bit overloaded. Just a minute. I'll fix it. [horn, trumpet, clarinets] 37 j rK B bb Œ ‰ n œœ œ œœ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ Œ Œ & b n œ œœœ œ œ nnœœœœ œœ Growing in intensity > > >

37 ...... œ œ . . bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œ œœœœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ Pno...... 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 . œ. . œ. œ...... œ œ œ œ ? b œ œ . œ b b 5 Technologyœ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. 30 œ œ œ œ . . f U 39 ...... œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ B bb œ œ œ j ! & b œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœœ œœ œœ œœ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ bœ. œ œ . œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œTechœ - no - lo-gy can take you an - y where that you like It can 5 39 ...... œ. œ. œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j & b b œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ j . . œ. œ œ. œ bœœ. œ œ . œ ! œ. œ œ œ. œ. . bœ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ . nœ œ. œ Pno. . œ f

œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b bœ œ œ œ bœ œ #œ œ b b œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ. œ. . . . uœ œ. œ. . .

1 Megan and the e-Bike diagrams in the thesis are an orchestral short score. The MEGANshort score submitted in the 42 folio is a performing version for piano and voices only. [spoken] It's very clever! B b œ. œ œ Uœ & b b œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ. J ‰ Œ " send you to the moon or help me pro - gramme your bike. 156 42 Uj 3 b œ œ. œ œ œ & b b œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ. #œ nœ #nœ Œ œ œœœœ œœ Œ ‰ œ œ œ. œ œ. œ . œ . œ J œ œ œ Pno. p - . ? # œ œ œœ #n œ j œœ œ. - œœ bbb œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ Œ œ œ œ #œ œ uJ

BEN Yes, I think lots of people might like one. In fact, I think I've invented the eBike. 45 B b & b b " " " "

45 3 3 bb œ & b œœ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ Ó œœœ œ nœ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ Œ œ nœ œ œœ œ œ nœ n œ œ œ. œ Pno. P F f - . œ. œ. . - . - ? b œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ b b œ œ œ œ- œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ- - - . Structure

Juxtaposition and variety in the structure of Megan and the eBike is essential, just as it was in The Magic Jungle in order to keep the attention of children performing in it as well as those watching it. I chose to put in a lot of jazzy and bright songs in Megan and the eBike, which children might enjoy singing, but there are slower and more thoughtful songs such as the middle section of ‘Megan’s Birthday Song’ and the ‘Cello Flying

Theme’.

Each section was also designed to teach something musical as well as to move the storyline forward: eclectic and imaginary ideas from the script sparking ideas in the music and leading to tangential musical relationships. The idea of the eBike taking off accompanied by the ‘technology motif’, a rather quirky musical motif (as shown earlier in

Example 5.19 on page 156, in bars 35 to 39), led to the ‘Cello Flying Theme’, which aims to depict the eBike soaring gracefully through the sky, and introduces young listeners to the cello. I feel that it is unexpected to use a cello for a theme about flight, as I would normally associate the sound of a flute or other wind instrument to depict this. I used tubular bells playing ‘Happy Birthday to You’ in ‘Megan’s Birthday Song’ to introduce the sound of this unusual instrument. I had in mind the chiming of church bells celebrating a wedding, and that a birthday party might replicate another joyful occasion, though on a smaller scale.

Combinations of elements appear in the use of the Hoedown band in ‘North

America’. ‘The Storm Approaching’ (see Example 5.20), featuring classical guitar, demonstrates harmonic and timbral colour in the use of delicate guitar backing, to signify the calm before the storm.

157 16 The Storm Approaching (Video of a storm approaching) Example 5.20: Megan and the eBike,’The Storm Approaching’ (bars 34 - 41)—The use of classical guitar providing a change of musical style. Boldly Allegro {q = 120} Ben b & b c Œ ! ! 43 ! 85 ! c

> > > > > Accoustic bb c ‰ œ œ ‰ œ. œ ‰ œ ‰ œ. œ ‰ 3 ˙ œ 5 œ œ œ œ c Guitar & J J J 4 œ 8 J F f F b > j & b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 w 85 œœ œœœ œ œ c œ > œ > œ œ > œ > œ œ œ œ œ Piano P F P œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ 5 ˙ j c b 4 œ 8 œ

5 F Ben b œ & b c Ó Œ œ œ ˙ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ If you see a storm ap - proach - ing and you're

Acc b ˙ Guitar & b c ‰ Œ ! !

bb c ˙. ˙ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ & ˙. œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ Pno.

œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ ? bb c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

© Jean Bunton, 2010 ‘Typhoon’ is the climax of the whole musical in terms of strength, volume, and length. It is written for two pianos, and then arranged for a chamber orchestra. This extract (Example 5.21) commences in Bbm9 but moves through many chords in the space of four bars.

158

17 Typhoon17 Typhoon

Example 5.21: Megan and the eBike, ‘Typhoon’ (bars 18-21)—The use of fast moving key changes.

135 ( ) Ÿ œ Ÿ ( ) 18 > >œ. . >œ. œ b œ œ œ œ œ >œ > œ œ œœ œ œ. œ œ3 œ bœ œ œ œ œ 6 b & b b œbœœ œbœœ œ œ œ œ œ 8 8 & b b ‰ œ œ- - œ œ œ œœ œ Pno. œ bœ- - œ Pno. - f f F ? b œ. œ œ. œ 3 6 ? b b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ8 œ œ œ 8 b b b˙. œ œ œ œb.œ. . œ œ œ œ. œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ Emphasize left hand> œ. > œ Bbm˙9. > bœ. E 7 > A 7 Cmsus4/G B 9add6 E addb6 b b b b b 138 >œ œ >œ. There are changesb of> rhythm such>œ as. bars 143 and>œ 145, whichœ>. use 3/4 ratherœ than theœ usual ( b) 6 œœ Ÿ ( )œ œ œ œ œ œ. 22 &Ÿ œ b 8 > œ >œ. - œ. ------œ- - - œ- 6/8Pno. (shown b in Example 5.22). These changesœ œhaveœ beenœ usedœ to œgive anœ impressionœ œ ofœ the & b b ƒ unpredictability of a typhoon. Pno. œ œ nœ œ œ ? b 6 œ œœ œ œ œœ Pœ œ œ œ œ œ b b 8 œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œnœ œ œ œ œ ? b œ œ œ œ œ œ Exampleb b 5.22œ: Meganœ andœ theœ eBikeœ , ‘œTyphoon’ (bars 141 - 146)—The useœ ofœ timeœ signatureœ œ œ changes. œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

141 - - œ. œ >œ œ œ >œ œ. œ œ >œ œ œ >œ œ œ 25 œ nœ b œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ b b - -œ nœ - - - - œ- ‰- œ -œ œ - ‰ 3 b &œ- œ- œ œ- œ- œ œ- œ œ œ- œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ- 8 Pno.& b b Pno. P ? b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 œb b œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ 8 ? b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b b œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ > > >œ œ

144 >œ œ >œ œ > >œ œ. > > 28 ( œ) Ÿœ(. ) œ œŸ ( ) ( ) œ œ > œ œ Ÿ b œ ( ) œ Ÿ ( ) .Ÿ œ œ œ b 3 œ œ œ œ >6 œœ >œœ. . Ÿœ œ œ> >œ œœ > 3 œ œ œ œ 6 b & b b 8 ‰ œ8. œ>. œ.‰ œ. œ. 8 œ œ 8 & b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Pno. œ- œ- - œ- œ- - œ- œ- - œ- œ- - Pno. F P j j j j j j ? b 3 œ œ œ >˙6. œ. œ . 3 bœ œ œ 6 ? b b b 8 œ ˙8. . œ.œ œ. 8 œ 8 b b œ. œ œ.œ ˙. œ œ. œ.œ. œ. œ. œ.bœ œ œ. œ. œ. > > œ. œ.

159

117 109 17 Typhoon

147 > > >œ œ œ >œ œ. œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ. œ œ œ œ. b 6 œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ. & b b 8 ‰ ‰ ‰ Pno. Extremes of volume are used, such as bar 153 shown in Example 5.23, which depicts the storm at its height. œ ? b 6 œ œ œ œ b b 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Example 5.23: Megan and theœ œeBikeœ œ , ‘Typhoon’œ œ (bars 150-155)—Extremes of volumeœ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Bring out melody

150 œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. b œ œ œ . œ œ & b b œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ Œ Pno. Ï œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

153 œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. b œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ & b b œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ Œ Pno.

œ ? b œ œ œ œ b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ- - œ nœ- nœ- œ -

Dissonant hints within tonality are used to depict the eerie feeling experienced 156 œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ during the& timeb b when theœ œ ‘eye’œ œ œ of the typhoonœ œ œ œ passes (bars 91 -97) see Exampleœ .5.24. œ œ œ œ Pno. Generally “Typhoon”f has ambiguous dissonances within tonality that are more developed nœ- ? b œ œ œ œ. in “Technology”b b œ (seeœ Examplesœ œ 5.24, 5.25œ. ). nœ. œ œ œ œ œ-. œ œ œ œ- - - œ- - - œ œ œ > > >

118

160 Example 5.24: Megan and the eBike, ‘Typhoon’ (bars 88 - 97)—The use of dissonant hints within 17 Typhoon tonality.

5 Technology Moderato 88 q = 80 b nœ œ œ. b˙. & b b Assuredlyn œ n andœ withœ œconfidenceœ œ œ bœ. ˙ nœ a tempo J ˙ J b˙. Pno. 65 F f F Ben b j b b . . œ ‰ œ & œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. bœ œ œ œ œ œ ? b Telln˙. me where you are and what the prob - lem seems to be I'llbœ b b a tempo˙. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Firmly œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ bb ‰ j & b œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. bœ. œ œ œ œ 92 bœ œ. œ œ. œ- œ. œ- œ. - - nœ Pno. - - - b P b b j nœ nœ j . F j & -. œ nœ- nœ J - œ - ˙ b˙. - . nœ œ ? œœ œ œ n˙ œ œ bœ- œ- œ œ œ Pno. bb bœ œ œ With emphasisœ on left œhand melodyœ nœ ‰ œ b J ? œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙. bbb nœ J œ œ 67 f U Ben b œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ & b b œ. œ œ. œ . . J Œ j œ œ Œ Ó sort it out im - med - iat - ly as fast as I can be. Techœ - nol - o - gy 98 Ambiguous dissonances within tonalities has been developed in ‘Technology’ (see b j jU . & bbbb œ.nœœnœœ. œ œ œ. œ. œ˙. œ. œœ. œœ œœ œ nœŒ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ & b nbœœ. Jœ œ. œ œ œ. œ. œ œ. œ œ œ J J j œœ . . . œ œ. . Example 5.25) toœ .emphasizeœ œ. œ n˙ the. fact thatœ. technologyœ œ œ can gosubitoœ awry. . n˙. . ˙. Pno.Pno. . Emphasize left hand p fFEmphasizep left handP b˙. . nœ œU nœ nœ œ œ bnœœ˙. œœ œœ œ œœ j œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ ?? bbb œ J œ œ œ œ œJ J Œ nœ ! œ ˙ Example 5.25:b bb Meganbœ œand the eBike, ‘Technology’œ œ (bars n70œ - 73)œ. —The use of Jdissonance within a tonal frame. 105 70 b Pno.Ben & b b G.P. ! bbb ! ! & [spoken] Oh no! It's done it again!! Sometimes it has a mind of its own, this computer ? b ! b b NARRATOR 2 Suddenly there was complete stillness, but Megan kept on falling through the air. She clung on to the bike, although it was useless. b j œ j & b b MEGAN‰ nnœ ‰ Wherenœœœœ œamœ œ I,œ Ben?‰ What'sœœœ® happening?‰ nnœ Help me‰ …. nœœ œœŒ œœœœŒ œ œ œ > > > > Pno. f > NARRATOR But there was no reply. Communications had broken down...... ? MEGAN This must be the eye. . of the typhoon. Maybe I'm falling through it. . . bb Ben, helpœ œ me!œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œœ œœ œœœœ œ œœ œœœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœœœœ œœ œœ NARRATOR. . . . And .then. the .very. worst thing. . happened.5. . . .She. let5. go. of. the. bike.. .5 . . . . 5. . .

MEGAN No! No! Ben, I’ve lost the bike.

NARRATOR Down and down she fell. She was more frightened than she had ever been in her life. 114

37 161 5 Technology

As fast as possible 72 b œ œ œ & b b ‰ nœ ‰ nœ œ œ ‰ Œ n > > Pno. > > ...... œ œ œ œ œ œ ? b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœœ œœ œœ œœ b b 5 . . .5 . . . . 5. . . . . 5......

73 Ben bbb ! & Don't worry, nothing will go wrong while you are flying...... b œ œ & b b œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ Pno. . . .5 . . . . 5. . . . . 5. . . . . 5. . .

? bb œ œ œ b . . œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ. . . œ. œ.

Reassuringly However,74 in the section ‘New Zealand’ in Megan and the eBike (see Example f Ben b & b b Ó Œ ‰ œ 5.26) a different approach is used. Whilst the text contains references toTech Ja volcano- the ...... music is calm.b On this occasionœ a literal text settingœ approach is set aside to maintain & b b œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ 5 issuesPno. of stylistic. consistency. .5 . . within. . .the5 .voice.. . . 5...... F Example? 5.2b6: Megan and the eBike, ‘Typhoon17 Typhoon’ (bars 88 - 97)—Ambiguous dissonances within b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ tonality. œ œ œ œ. œ...... œ œ. œ. . . . . Moderato 88 q = 80 b nœ œ œ. b˙. & b b n œ nœ œ œ œ œ bœ. ˙ nœ J œ ˙ J b˙. Pno. F œ œ ? b n˙. bœ b b ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ

92 b j j j & b b œ nœ nœ œ 38 ˙. œ. nœ nœ J n˙ œ b˙. œ. nœ œ Pno. With emphasis on left hand melody

? œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙. bbb nœ J œ œ

98 b j j 162 & b b nœnœ œ ˙. œ. œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ nœ J n˙. J n˙. ˙. Pno. Emphasize left hand p FEmphasize left handP b˙. œ. nœ œ ? b nœ nœ œ œ œ ˙. J nœ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ b b J nœ J

105 b Pno. & b b G.P. ! ? b ! b b NARRATOR 2 Suddenly there was complete stillness, but Megan kept on falling through the air. She clung on to the bike, although it was useless.

MEGAN Where am I, Ben? What's happening? Help me ….

NARRATOR But there was no reply. Communications had broken down.

MEGAN This must be the eye of the typhoon. Maybe I'm falling through it. Ben, help me!

NARRATOR And then the very worst thing happened. She let go of the bike.

MEGAN No! No! Ben, I’ve lost the bike.

NARRATOR Down and down she fell. She was more frightened than she had ever been in her life. 114 Score

[Composer] 14 North America (background pictures of Statue of Liberty Niagara Falls and Grand Canyon) The whole structure of Megan and the eBike makes use of my educational Jazz Allegro operating principles suchq = 150 as textual and lyrical zaniness. In the piece ‘North America’ Megan c ! ! ! ! & So where am I now? I thought I was supposed to be in Europe! Ben types the wrong co-ordinates into the GPS for Megan’s journey, and she ends up

Ben flying over New York& c instead! of London.! In ‘North America’! I used ! an American Something went wrong with the flight plan, but don't worry. hoedown bandHoedown as a pastiche, with open fifths, played by a fiddle (see Example 5.27), just Band & c ! ! ! ! as Andrew Lloyd Webber used pastiche in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Firmly, emphasizing bass notes Dreamcoat. I also incorporated a fleeting two lines of ‘America the Beautiful’j into bars & c ! ! ! Œ #œ #œ #œ. ##œ œ œ. Piano F 21 to 23. 3 ? - - #œ- - - - - c b˙ ˙ bœ. œbœ. œ œ bœ œ bœ bœ nœ œ ˙ Example 5.27: Megan and#˙ - the eBike- , - ‘North America’ (bars 5-7)—The incorporation of an American hoedown band.

5 Megan & ! ! ! But this looks like New York. I can see the Statue of Liberty.

Ben ! ! ! & [Fiddle (ad lib.)] Yes, a small problem. Cheerfully [electric guitar, bass guitar]

j #œ #œ. œ œ. œ #œ. œ j #œ. œ œ #˙ HBand # œ. œ #œ. œ #œ # ˙ #˙ & [Kick#œ drums] œ œ # œ. œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ #œ œ œ œ f F

Œ Œ Œ Ó bœ œ. œ bœ œ. œ & bœ b#œœ b#œœ b œ œ. œ bœ . œ bb# œœ œ œ bœ œ. œ œ œ Pno. > > > - - - œ ? bœ-. œbœ-. œ #œ œœ bœœ œ- #˙ b˙- ˙ - .

The same ‘colour-hymn’ basis is still evident in my work, but in Megan and the eBike I have adopted music of other cultures to bring new musical richness into the harmonies which is something I experienced at the Aurora Festivals in the work of intercultural Australian composers Michael Atherton, Bruce Crossman and Cambodian-

American composer Chinary Ung. Both Crossman in Double Resonance (2008) and Ung in Aura (2005) which were performed at Aurora 2008, utilize mixtures of Southeast Asian

163 modality with contemporary harmony. Similarly, at Aurora 2006, ethnomusicologist

Michael Atherton used the kulintang gong patterns in Jiriyai (2006) which suggest more restricted harmonic patterns. These events have provided inspiration for my own work.

Figure 5.28: Megan and the eBike Structure.

Megan and the eBike Structure

Scene Musical Educational Tempi/melody/ Analysis - Bars Styles Purpose harmony/rhythm/ texture

1 Introduction Two narrators with Introduction to the = 120. Allegro A introduction bars background music. story. With anticipation. 1- 4 Didjeridu and Didjeridu drone and Introduces Key A. paired sticks. paired sticks played didjeridu, paired Rhythmically slow, B Full Orchestra with melodic stasis sticks and full but with warm bars 5-18 based on four-part orchestra. chordal texture. B (repeated) bars harmony in 19-37. Ending with orchestra. Modulation through didjeridu and paired D, to A. Bar 19 sticks. repeats 18 bars. ‘Just Imagine motif’ used in bars 32 and 33. Bar 35 ‘technology motif’. Ending on D at bar 37.

2 Megan’s Sung by Megan. The story continues. = 120 With Birthday Song Introduces tubular excitement bells and balloon Faster, more popping, excited. orchestra speaking, Rhythmically bright drum roll and with thick texture of bicycle bell. chords. Texture: Surprise ‘hook’ at chromatic chordal the end, which changes provide attempts to hold rich texture. children’s interests. Slower central section where texture is empty, signifying sadness. Introduction 2 Key: D bars.

164 A: Melody moves A bars Megan sings with the harmonic 2-19 verse 1 underpinning both bars 6-7 and 12-14 forwards and ‘Happy Birthday’. backwards through chromatic chord A bars 20-31 progressions from Megan sings verse 2 D to Eb at bar 8, and back to D at bar 13. B: = 108 Modulation from D to F at bars 32-46 B Megan sings and back to D in bar Second theme bars 48. 32-39. Moderato. Spoken thoughtfully. Slower interlude (sung and spoken) harmonized over semibreves, through Bbm,Eb,Dmin,A,D, G.Eb,Dm,D,Dm,F, Em,Dm,Bbm,Dm,B bm,Dm,A.

B is repeated. B Narrator speaks with same chords bars 41-48

A: = 120 Key: D A Megan sings verse 3 bars 49-56

A Final verse (With renewed hope) A Narrators speak same harmonies. over A section.

A Music with narration ending on D. C ending: drum roll on A, leading to the C ending bars 57-66 surprise gift of bike. ‘Just Imagine’ motif at bars 79 and 80. 83-84 Em. Coda 67 to 84

3 Just Imagine Sung by Megan Soaring melody = 120 Leisurely with Ben and with full orchestra. fast. Narrators singing Introduces oboe and Key: F the choruses. horn as solo Rhythmically solid A Introduction bars Introduction grows instrument. basis in verses with 1-5 organically. rich harmonic Soaring melody B Verse 1 bars 6-23

165 rises above texture. Texture is harmonies. rich due to many 6ths, and 7ths.

A Introduction grows organically. C Chorus bars 24- 38 B Verse 1 in F modulates through Bbm, D, G, Db, Bm, Gb, Em D, F#m.

C In G major. Rhythmically there are bars of 2/4 to upset the repetition A Introductory of 4/4 and provide material repeated variety. Rising bars chromatic scale modulates to F and B bars 45-63 a final Dm, Gm to F. C Chorus bars 75- 88 A Introductory bars repeated D bars 87-90 Bar 48 Bbm.

B verse 2

C Chorus

D Coda key of Gm, C7 to F.

4 The New Narration with jazzy = 100 Moderato A bars 1-4 Invention background music. Jazz piano. Jazz A (repeat) bars 5-8 Description of the Key B A (repeat) bars 9-12 technology used in Each repetition has A (repeat) bars 13- invention of eBike. different features 16 added to melody A (repeat) bars 17- and harmony. 20 Bars 4 and 8 A (repeat) bars 21- include ‘Just 24 Imagine motif’. A key change to C Bars 32 and 44 bars 25-28 include the short A bars 29-32 ‘Technology motif’ A key change to D Texturally the main bars 33-36 theme (A) grows A bars 37-40 with each repetition. A bars 41-44 A bars 45-48

166

5 Technology Sung by Ben. = 115 Lively Jazz swing. Description of how Key: Eb Includes technology the eBike works Melody is jaunty. motif interruptions with interruptions There is much use and from technology of triplets. Jazz ‘malfunctioning’ motif. influenced four-part technology. Malfunctioning harmony. technology are Rhythmically the played by trumpet, song is syncopated horn and bassoon. With rhythmic swing throughout. Texture is bright and playful.

A Introduction A bars 1 – 8 uses theme from verse. B bars 9 – 14 B technology motif uses fast staccato rhyms, leading to ascending chords in root position. A verse 1 bars 15 – A in Eb 22

C bars 28-29 uses C chorus walking bass. D material from D (in Ab) verse bars 31 – 36

B Technology motif B bars 36-43. In bar 36 ‘malfunctioning technology’ is depicted by horn, trumpet and bassoon in atonal ‘stabbing rhythms’.

E bridge keys of E bars 40 – 43 Db, Fm and C7.

A Melody and narration. A bars 44-50

A verse. A bars 51-59

D (in Ab) vocal melody rises to a D material from climax on Eb. verse bars 60-67

B Technology motif includes more B Technology motif bars 68-73

167 ‘malfunctioning technology’.

A verse in Eb sung A bars 75-81 by Ben.

C chorus in Eb. C bars 82-90

D in Eb D material from (voice gets drowned verse bars 91-98 out). B Technology motif B Technology Bars 98-104 motif. D Ending bar 105 D Ending (spoken by Ben).

6 Take a Test = 120 Allegro Ride Sung by Ben and Introduces Key Bb Megan. Jazz saxophone as a solo Stomp. Melody instrument. A Introduction bars A Introduction bars played by 1-6 in Bb 1-6 saxophone Harmony uses jazz A Bars 7-15 A repeated bars 7- scale Bb C Db F G Narration over A 15 influenced by section music. Django Reinhardt. A Verse bars 16-23 A verse repeated sung by Ben. 15-23

A Verse bars 24 – A verse repeated 30 sung by Ben. bars 24-30

B chorus bars 32-41 Eb B chorus Passing through Bb/D,Gb/Db, Bb/D, Bb/D to Cm7.

A with saxophone A Saxophone while Ben speaks. Interrupted by C Technology motif C Technology motif in G minor bars 50-59 Bars 50-59 landing on Bb. Bar 60 drum to signal vocal entry.

B chorus in Bb. B chorus bars 61-66

A Verse A verse bars 67 -73

C Coda rhythmic C Coda bars 74-78

168 bass leading to low Bb.

= 120 Allegro 7 eBiking Sung by Megan. The most important Key: F Jazzy melody with song of the whole Rhythm is many colourings in production and is syncopated and fast. the chords. repeated later so Texture uses full A Introduction bars that it becomes jazz orchestration. 1-4 more memorable to the audience. B Harmony uses B Verse 1 bars 5-22 chromatically close chords, such as the C Chorus bars 23- ‘eBiking’ chords of 30 Dmin/C, Db/C, Dmin/C in bar 23.

D Bridge Bar 31 F D Bridge bars 31-45 to D7. bars 32 and 33 D, 35 B, 36 G, 37 Am 39 C, 40 Bb 42 Bm, 44 Ab rising chromatically to 46 G. B Verse 2 bars 46- B verse 63 C chorus E ‘blues’ chords C Chorus bars 64- bars 73-75. 72 . E Coda

8 The Trip to Narration with = 85 Moderato. A bars 1-8 first Sydney background music. Furthering the story. Relaxed slow swing theme Key Ab Melody uses many triplets, the ‘swing’ feel occurs because each hand is playing a different rhythm to the other throughout. Harmony is based on jazz scale. Texturally bright. A section Ab B section includes B bars 9-20 eBiking motif in bar answering theme 10. C third theme bars 21-30

A bars 31-38

169

B bars 39-45

D Technology motif in F bars 46-50

9 Cello Flying Cello with piano = 105 Moderato accompaniment Theme Introduces cello as Soaring and narration. solo instrument. Key Eb Melody – cello with Introduction bars accompaniment. A 1-4 section is smooth the gentle, as if in flight. B section is sharper with

‘stabbing’ rhythmic features at bars 16- 17 and 27-29.

A section Ab-Eb- A section bars 5-15 Ab-Eb-Ab.

B section each bar B section bars 16- changes chordal 29 accompaniments through F#, G, Cm, F ,Bb, Ab.

C section modulates C section bars 31- through 39 F#,Gm,Db,Ab,Bb, Ab,Db,Ab Gb to Eb.

A section bars 40- A in Ab from bars 43. 40-43. Coda 44-50 Coda holds on to an Ab chord for 5 bars from 44-50.

10 Sydney Narration to = 80 Swing background music. Introduces trumpet Relaxed A with trumpet Slow swing. as solo instrument. Key: F bars 1-9 Melody – trumpet with slow swing A with trumpet accompaniment. repeated bars10-19

A bars 20-28, accompaniment only

170 A bars 29-34

C Technology in C extract from key of F. Technology song bars 35-42 (piano only)

A Technology song with trumpet bars 43-51

Bar 52 F7 chord

11 New Narration to Music from ‘Take a = 120 Allegro Zealand background music. Test Ride’. Jazz Stomp A Take a Test Ride. Key: Bb bars 1-43

Followed by Technology motif B Technology ‘technology motif’. in Gm. Extra motif bars 44 - 51. instrumentation to depict ‘power booster’ on the eBike which works over water. Gentle lullaby. = 108 Gentle C bars 52 - 90. Key Bb, but moving through Eb and Db Gentle rhythm and coloured harmonies.

12 Setting off Narration to Music from = 108 Moderato for Europe background music. ‘Homeland’ with Smooth and flowing Didjeridu and oboe violin played as a Key D are used at the fiddle. bars 1 – 2 Didjeridu Introduction bars beginning and the Followed by (ppp). 1-2 end. Music from ‘The Storm A bars 3 – 7 oboe A bars 3 – 7 first Approaching’ then first theme. theme ‘technology motif’. A repeated (with A bars 8 – 12 piano repeated accompaniment).

B answering phrase. B bars 13 – 19 A A repeat A bars 19-25 B answering phrase. A bars 26 – 29 B bars 30 – 37 C bright semiquavers played C bars 38 – 46 by violin with “fiddle theme” ‘Homeland’ theme

171 accompaniment.

A repeat with piano. A bars 47 – 55 D bar 56 change to 4/4 time change D bars 56 – 67 ‘Storm Approaching’ theme with classical guitar Changes in time signature from 5/4 to 4/4.

C bars 68 – 76 technology motif in C bars 68-76 F.

D four bars of oboe and didjeridu D Coda bars 56-59 signifying going into space.

INTERVAL

13 eBiking As before. As before. Sung by Megan. Reprise to refresh (reprise) . audience’s memory and provide an up- beat start to second act.

14 North Narration with = 150 Allegro A bars 1-4 America background music. Reprise of music Key: F Sharp A bars 5-8 from ‘The New Melody from ‘The A bars 9-12 Invention’. New Invention’. A bars 13-16 Rhythm is jazz A bars 17-19 Furthering the story. syncopation. Interrupted by Texture has added Technology motif hoedown band to in bar 20 add a ‘North A bars 21-24 American’ feel. Each repeat adds new features to melody and harmony. Modulation from F sharp to C bars 25- 27.

172

15 Leaving for Conversation Introducing pseudo- = 105 Moderato A bars 1-7 between Megan and characteristics of Key: F Hong Kong Ben. Chinese music. A repeated bars 18- Melody is built over four-part harmony, 31 but with Chinese influences – the use of a pentatonic added. Rhythm in B Technology motif piano is simple 32-36 quadruple, though flute has quavers and some semiquavers. Texture may feel ‘empty’ to Western ears because of lack of thirds and sevenths. Modulation from Bb to F bars 32-36.

16 The Storm Sung by Ben. = 120 Allegro Introduction bars Approaching Introducing Boldly 1-5 classical guitar. Key: Bb A Verse 1 bars 6-16 Melody is gentle B Chorus bars 17- with light guitar 23 backing. Rhythm A Verse 2 bars 24- uses bars of 5/4 to 36 break up 4/4 B Chorus bars 37- rhythms. 43 Texturally light C Bridge bars 44-54 guitar. A Verse 3 bars 55- Bridge section C 68 uses chords of A, B Chorus bars 69- Ab, Bbm,Gm,Dm7 77 in accompaniment. ‘Just Imagine’ motif’ is used in bar 75.

17 Typhoon Two pianos Orchestral, with = 120 or arranged for some conversation Key: Cm, but with The piece features orchestra during the Central many modulations. changes of rhythm Dialogue is used Section, and at the Starting off which contrast with during the central end after the music texturally light. the main theme. section which is has finished. Mostly p or pp. These start at during quiet. Decorations with the exposition at trills in woodwind bars 60 (rhythm 1), section in orchestral and 64 (rhythm 2). version. Exposition of In the recapitulation there are four

173 fragments of rhythmic contrasts, melody. Grows starting at bars 125 organic to main (rhythm 3). theme (bar 37) main section when main bar 129 (rhythm 4) theme becomes increasingly rhythmic and bar 135 (rhythm 5) texturally thickened. bar 141 (rhythm 6) Central section has emptiness, and is textually light.

Final recapitulation is fully rhythmic with rhythms of 3/4 interspersed to increase the strength. Texture is full with instruments playing different rhythms, scales ascending and descending, and rising to relentless climax at bar 162. A Introduction A = 120 bars 1-36 bars 1-36

B Main section. B Main Section Key: Cm bars 37-84 Melody in flute bar 60 rhythm 1 section representing appears. wind blowing more bar 64 rhythm 2 strongly. Bar 60 full orchestra ff.

C Central section – Central Section the eye of the Section B and Care typhoon interspersed from Key: Cm but with bar 77 through to atonal harmonies. bar 116. Melody built over harmonies. Bars 77-80 four Rhythmically bare bars of B section slow-moving used chords. 81-84 four bars Orchestration is from C section. oboe, two clarinets, Bars81-84 bassoon, horn and B section bars 85- cello. Sparse notes 88 leading to empty C 89-90 texture. Cello plays B 91-109 C bar 110

174 ‘Cello flying theme’ B bar 112-113 at bar 102. B bars 114-116 = 80

A+ (recapitulation) A + bars 117-156 section returns at bar 117 with with added rhythms dramatic scales on organ with trumpet A bars 117-162 playing main motif. Melody is less bars 125 rhythm 3 predominant as full orchestra is playing bars 129 rhythm 4 forte. Motif B in oboe part at bar bars 135 rhythm 5 134. ‘Take a test ride motif’ in bars 141 rhythm 6 clarinet part in bar 141. bars 153-162 full orchestra relentless climax to ending.

18 Grounded Narrators, Megan = 120 Allegro and Ben have Repeat of Key: F conversation with technology motif Rhythmically very background music. leading into a new fast, as Megan is melodic piece in rushing to get home four-part harmony. in a hurry. Texturally manic.

A The technology A Technology motif theme is used at the b 1-5 start, with its Bartokian harmonies.

B descending scale B bars 6-8 ending in an A minor chord to signify bike landing. bar 8 is in 2/4, bar 9 key change to C.

C melody in C supported by stable C bars 9-16 diatonic four-part harmony in quadruple rhythm with no disruption.

C modulation to Ab in bar 20. C bars 17-24 repeated

175 D second part D bars 25-41 increases in volume and texture of chords.

19 Explaining Conversation Introducing = 120 Allegro A Take a Test Ride the Story between Narrators, xylophone Jazz Stomp verse bars 1-29 Megan and Ben. Key Bb (reprise of a verse Rhythmic jazz. B chorus bars 30-38 of ‘Take a Test Ride’ followed by a

verse from C eBiking verse ‘eBiking’). = 120 Allegro bars 39-65 Key: G

20 Count the Ben and Megan Song = 108 With awe Stars sing, with Narrators Key: Eb joining in C climax Rhythm is regular, section and C final many triplets climax. especially in B section. Texture: organic growth to grandiose full orchestra.

A Melody is A Introduction bars soaring. 1-9 Harmony is A Verse 1 bars 10- basically four part. 28

B section has many Bartokian B Alternative harmonies on material bars 29-37 chords such as Gb, Gm, A,Db, Eb leading to Bb.

A Verse 2 bars 38- 54

C is climax section C Chorus bars 55- in volume and 62 texture. Keys: Bb, Bb/Ab, Eb/G, Bb/F, A Verse 1 repeated Cm/F, F to Bb. bars 64-80

C final climax to C Chorus bars 81- fff. 91

176 The Second Act of Megan and the eBike is set out in Figure 5.29 showing all the

sections and the bases of their harmonies. All the sections are built on the foundations of

hymn four-part harmony but each has one or more influences which colour the harmonies.

‘Typhoon’, for instance, is built on four-part harmony, being classical music in its nature,

and is influenced by Ravel’s Bolero, constantly bringing in the same theme but in different

guises and with major impetus drawn from the unrelenting rhythm. I also had

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in mind at the time of composition with its use of dissonance.

It is immediately followed by ‘Grounded’ which starts with the ‘technology motif’

signifying Megan’s need to return home quickly, and then a segment of a much more

traditional piece of four-part harmony as background music.

Figure 5.29: Sections in the Second Act of Megan and the eBike, and the basis of their harmonies, styles and influences.

Full orchestral climaxes Main Climax Finale

Classical Classical Ravel / Classical Influences guitar Stravinsky Bartok

Jazz Jazz Jazz Jazz Jazz

Cultural references American Chinese Four Four part part Four part Four part Four part Four part Four part Four part Four part harmony harmony harmony harmony harmony harmony harmony harmony harmony 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Leaving North for Hong The Storm Explaining Count the eBiking America Kong Approaching Typhoon Grounded the Story Stars

Part 3: Megan and the eBike Suite: exploding the hymn through orchestral colour

After working with Bill Connor, a professional orchestrator, on The Magic Jungle I

started to build on my own knowledge of orchestration for Megan and the eBike (see

177 Examples 5.34 on page 185 and 5.36 on 187). It was immensely useful to look at the orchestrations Bill Connor had done as I knew the music, and following his full score to see the way he handled colouring and texture, I could see how much instrumentation he put in or left out.

Megan and the eBike Suite has been arranged for chamber orchestra and voice and also has a part for a didjeridu.2 This is another example of how a culture, such as that of the Australian Aboriginal, has been depicted through enriching the hymn-like harmonies with a didjeridu. In the first piece of the suite ‘Homeland’ the didjeridu provides stasis as a cultural aural symbol of Australia, grounding the lyricism of the oboe and clarinet solos, and later the oscillation of pizzicato strings above it.

‘Homeland’

This piece of music tries to explore the old and the new of Australian music. The wonderful timbre of the drone of the didjeridu represents the ancient Australia. Knight writes about the Aboriginal didjeridu; “the long, hollowed-out tree branch that is blown into has a distinctive melody characterized by musicologists as a “tumbling strain” (that is music that descends again and again in a deep, raspy manner)” (Knight, 2006, p.111).

Marrett, in Grove Music, writes that traditionally the didjeridu was a northern Australian instrument, but its use is common in other areas of Australia as “exchange of songs and dances between groups has historically been a feature of Aboriginal culture, particularly at ceremonial occasions” (Marrett, Ellis, Gummow, Covell, and Smith). Hayward and

Neunfeldt remark that the didjeridu “has become a ubiquitous audio marker of

2 The didgeridu was the inspiration for ‘Homeland’, which is the first section of the Suite, but a practical choice was made to use bassoon in order to fit with the usual orchestral instrumentation so as it is more widely playable by orchestras.

178 Aboriginality (or simply of the Australian bush itself) either through its actual use or through the imitation of aspects of its timbre and pitch by other instruments (deployed primarily to produce drones and rumbles) (Hayward & Neuenfeldt,1997: 9). My use of the didgeridoo in ‘Homeland’ is not an ethno musicological attempt to integrate Aboriginal culture into multicultural structure but rather a general timbre and drone reference to signify the culture of Australia’s first inhabitants.

Australian composer and didjeridu player William Barton has used the combination of didjeridu and orchestra many times, such as in his piece Mothership. Peter

Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards have incorporated the didjeridu into some of their compositions. Sculthorpe’s, Earth Cry, and Songs of Sea and Sky both use a didjeridu solo with orchestra. Liza Lim’s work The Compass (2006), for orchestra, also features the didjeridu and flute. From further afield, Russian composer Vitalij Vladimirov has also written a concerto for Didjeridu and orchestra (2007).

The melody that sits above the didjeridu in ‘Homeland’ has a lilting quality which has a Gaelic influence (see Example 5.27). I chose to write it because of my affinity to

Scottish music, and because so many of the new Australians in the nineteenth Century came from Ireland and Scotland. The tune is influenced by the song “Waly, Waly” (woe is me), which was first printed in 1646 (Sharp, 1944, p. xxx). In Gaelic-speaking regions of Britain and Ireland the narrative song tradition was the laoidh (‘lay’).

In between these two lines are harmonies constrained by the necessity of fitting in with both the melody line and the drone in D. The idea behind the piece was a combination of elements, the mix the cultures of Scotland and Australia. I orchestrated the first twenty bars using just a marimba and a shaker so that the oboe and didjeridu

179 timbres could be clearly heard. However the second time the melody appears I decided to use strings, as I wanted to provide a complete variety of texture and timbral sound. I drew on influences from Vivaldi in orchestrating the bars from sixteen to thirty-seven, giving the melody to the first violins and having a delicate pizzicato accompaniment from the rest of the strings.

The drone has had an impact on the hymn colour harmonies in an interesting way as it has also reminded me of the drone of the bagpipes. The notes on the bagpipes are G to A playing a mixolydian mode. The drone notes on bagpipes harmonize and create dissonance with the melody notes played on the chanter in a similar manner to pedal tones in organ music. I believe that my Scottish heritage, combined with my background as an organist playing pedal notes, and my appreciation of the didjeridu may have come together in ‘Homeland’. A bright violin ‘fiddle’ melody, also representing Gaelic music, appears later (at bar 47). The structure of ‘Homeland’ can be seen in Figure 5.30.

Figure 5.30: Megan and the eBike, ‘Homeland’—The structure of ‘Homeland’ showing volume in the climax sections C and D.

D bars 58-69 C bars C bars Cli- 47-51 52-57 max B bars “fid- “fid- with 38- 46 dle dle full A bars answ- A bars A bars A bars tune” tune” orches 70-87 ering 88-95 1-2 20- 37 repeat -tra flutes, phrase oboe, Didger- repeat ted meri- strings clarinet, idu with mba, and strings, opening strings strings flutes didjer- follow- and didjeridu bars ed by didje- idu 96-98 oboe ridu and didj. clarinet with didjeridu bars 3-19

180 The original version of ‘Homeland’ for piano, oboe, and didjeridu is shown in Example 5.31.

Example 5.31: Megan and the eBike, ‘Homeland’ (bars 1 - 20)—Combination of musical instruments representing the mixing12 of SettingGaelic and off Australian for Europe cultures, and use of timbre to create variety. "Homeland"

Smooth and flowing Moderato {q = 96} Oboe # œ œ œ œ. & # 86 ! ! Œ ‰ œ œ œ ˙. œ. œ œ œ ˙. F

# & # 86 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Piano

? ## 86 ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Didjeridu ? ## 86 ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. "

Ob # œ Sorry Mum. # Œ ‰ œ œ œ ˙. Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ˙ œ œ & . . œ œ ˙.

8 ## ! ! ! & ˙˙. ˙˙. ˙˙. ˙˙. Pno. P ˙. ˙˙. ˙. ˙. ? ## ! ! ! ! ˙ ˙.

8 D ? ## ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙.

181 12 Setting off for Europe

15 Ob # & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ! œ. ˙. œ. œ bœ. œ œ œ œ.

15 ## œ œ & ! ! ! ! ! Œ ‰ œ œ œ Pno. F œ œ œ ? # ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. œ. œ œ œ # ˙. b˙. b˙. œ œ ˙. œ. œ 15 D ? ## ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙.

Example 5.32: Megan and the eBike, ‘Homeland’ (bars 16 - 37)MEGAN—Orchestrated for strings. Megan cycled round to Ben's house. NARRATOR 2 NARRATOR 2 We've both got to visit New Zealand "Why are your shoes all wet and muddy? I have never seen such gluey mud!" [change tone of voiceand when see usingsome mother's more. Therewords] is so much to do. shouted Megan'sMEGAN mother from the kitchen the next morning. BEN "They are soaked and sticky. Where HAVE you been? You just left them on the doorstep." 21 Ob # & # ! ! ! ! ! ! [sadly] I've got exams at school, and my parents keep telling me to study more. They say I'm spending too much time playing games on the computer. Of course I can't tell them that it's not just a game. It is hard work sending you on all these trips! [Laugh] 21 # œ # œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. & œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ . œ . œ œ œ œ ˙. Pno. P œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ? ## œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ

21 D ? ## ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙.

182

Following ‘Homeland’ I shall also show examples of the ways I have coloured chords from the short score and arranged them for orchestra, either in the jazzy introduction to the song ‘eBiking’ or in a soaring crescendo in the song ‘Just Imagine’.

‘eBiking’

In orchestrating the introduction to ‘eBiking’ I have used the full orchestra, as I wanted to start with a ‘punch’. I studied the score which Bill Connor had written for

‘Snap, Crocodile, Snap’ as I wanted to get the same jazz style. The synthesizer is on a

183 banjo setting in the right hand and honky-tonk piano in the left. From bars two to three the main chords are played by the oboe, clarinets and pizzicato strings, whilst the bassoon plays an alternative rhythm using triplets. The horn plays a sustained G to provide cohesion. I have also used bongos to provide an exciting rhythmic accompaniment. From bars four to six I have used arco strings, the bass and viola playing accented crotchets, the cello playing syncopated ascending quavers, and the violins playing triplets, joined by the honky-tonk synthesizer bassoon then clarinets, so that at bar five there is a full orchestra playing in cross-rhythm syncopation to provide increasing excitement up to the start of the song in bar six. This section contains the voice within an orchestral suite whereas normal practice would be to leave this as an orchestral suite only. Whilst it is unusual having the voice colour and text in there as part of the Suite, it is a valid artistic choice that allows for

a particularScore operatic colour to emerge as part of the sound[Composer] world. The piano and vocal score is shown in Example 5.33, and the orchestral score in Example 5.34. 7 eBiking Example 5.33: Megan andScenes the of eBikethe world turning, ‘eBiking’ in space on the (bars backgound 1 screen - 7)—Piano and vocal score. With zest

Allegro ( q = 120}

Megan & b c ! ! ! !

j j - b c ! Œ œ bœ nœ . œœ. œ œ œ . Ó ‰ " œ œ. œ & œ b œ n œœ. œ . œ œ œœ. R > > > . > > > > > Piano f > >j > > > > > ? œ bœ nœ. œ œ œ œ b c ˙. w . œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ > > > > > > > > >

4 F M j & b ! Ó ‰ " r œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ j I'mœ goingœ. toœ ride my bike all round the world andœ

4 3 œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ j & b . œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ j œ œ œ œ. œ œœ.œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ. œ Pno. P > > ? œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ > > > > œ. œ

8 M j & b œ. œ œ œ œ. ‰ " r œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ 184 what do you think I'll see?˙ I'mœ goingœ. toœ ride my bike all round the world

8 j & b œ . œ œ œ œ. ‰ " r œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ ˙˙ œœ. œœ œœ œ œ. ˙˙ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Pno. .

œ ? b œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ > œ w w © Jean Bunton,> 2008 Example 5.34: Megan and the eBike, ‘eBiking’ (bars 1 - 6)—Orchestral score.

Part 4 - eBiking

With Excitement Allegro q = 125 Flute 1 r ˘ ˘ œ . b c ∑ Ó Œ ‰ ≈ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ Ó Œ ‰ ≈ r œ ‰ ‰ j ‰ œ. œ œ œ . œ œ. œ. & J œ œ œ œ F fl fl fl fl fl P ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘œ ˘œ œ Flute 2 œ œ ˘ œ ‰ œ ˘ œ. œ b c ∑ Ó Œ ‰ ≈ œ J ‰ ‰ œ ‰ Ó Œ ‰ ≈ œ ‰ œ ‰ J ‰ Œ & R R J F P F œ- bœ- nœ-. œ. œ œ œ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ Oboe œ. r œ ‰ ˘œ ˘œ œ. œ ˘œ œ œ & b c ∑ Œ J J Ó Œ ‰ ≈ œ ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ Œ

F f F P 3 F 3 Clarinet in B 1 # - - - b c ∑ Œ œ bœ nœ. œ. œ œ œ œ. Ó ‰ ≈ r œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ. œ ‰ ≈ œ. œ. œ. & J J œ œ. œ œ œ œ. . R

F P 3 3 Clarinet in B 2 b # j . j & c ∑ Œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ . Ó ‰ ≈ r œ œ . œ. œ œ. œ. œ - - - œ œ œ. œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. . F P F Bassoon œ > > > >œ ? b c Œ Œ Œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. ‰ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ 3 3 J œ œ œ . . > > > > > > > > > > > > P F Horn in F c ∑ Œ . . Œ ∑ œ œ Œ & ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ p P Trumpet in C j & b c ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ œ ‰ œ ‰ j ‰ œ. œ œ ‰ œ œ Œ fl œ fl fl fl p fl fl fl P Timpani ? b c ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ [Bongos] Percussion y. y y. y y. y y y y y y y y y y. y y. y y. y y y y y y y y y y. y y. y y. y y ã c ∑ 3 3 3 3 p F f & b c ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Marimba

? b c ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ [Banjo setting] b c ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Ó ‰ ≈ r & œ œ. œ Synthesizer . [Honky tonk piano setting] F f > >œ >œ ? c ∑ ∑ ∑ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ > œ. œ œ œ > > > > > > . > > f > Singer & b c ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Ó ‰ ≈ r [Megan] I'mœ goingœ. toœ With Excitement arco . Allegro pizz. . q = 125 œ œ œ œ œ. œ Violin j . j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b c ∑ Œ œ bœ nœ ‰ œ. œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 œ œ œ œ nœ œ bœ œ & œ œ 3 œ 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

3 arco 3 3 Fpizz. 3 3 3 Violin II j j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & b c ∑ Œ ‰ œ. œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 œ 3œ œ 3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. P arco pizz. . F Viola œ > > > > B c ∑ Œ œ bœ œ ‰ œ. œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ b J J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ > > > > > > > Ppizz. F arco . > . > . . > . >œ. œ. >œ. œ. >œ. œ . > . >œ. œ. Cello ? œ bœ nœ œ œ. œ œ. œ >œ. œ. >œ. œ œ. œ >œ. œ. >œ. œ. >œ. œ œ. œ b c ∑ Œ J ‰ Œ œ. œ > >. pizz. P F arco > Double Bass >œ > >œ œ ? >œ. >œ. >œ >œ r > >œ >œ >œ œ b c Ó Œ Œ Œ ‰ ≈ R Œ Œ ‰ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ > > > > > P > F

185

‘Just Imagine’

In orchestrating ‘Just Imagine’ I used different techniques to provide a ‘soaring’

feel. From bar 24 I had the flutes and first violin hold on to a high D as a ‘ceiling’ idea,

and the oboe an octave below to support the singers on their sustained D as timbre

enrichment which would complement the voices. The bassoons, horn and trumpet also

held sustained notes. Meanwhile the clarinets were used to play decorative harmonies, as

well as the second violins, violas, cellos and basses. In bars 27 to 29 (see Example 5.35

which shows the full orchestration) I pared back the instrumentation, so that only the horn

and first violin played the melody with the singer. This cutback makes a textually rich

moment to ‘soar’ in contrast. In bars 27 to 29 the second violins, violas and cellos moved

the rhythm forward, and the bass held a sustained note to anchor everything. The piano

and vocal score are shown in Example 5.35.

Example 5.35: Megan and the eBike, ‘Just Imagine’3 Just Imagine (bars 19 - 24)—Piano and vocal score. 18

19 ƒ f Megan & 42 Ó c w w œ œ œ œ. œ ˙. œ w 42 Fly on a jour-neyJ round the world. ƒ Ben f & 42 ! c w w œ œ œ œ. œ ˙. œ 42 Fly on a jour-neyJ round the worldw

With strength

& 42 ˙ c w w œ œ œ œ. œ ˙. œ w 42 ˙ w w œ J œ w Pno. ƒ f ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ ? 2 œ œ œ c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ 2 4 w w 4 œ w w w

The orchestral score, bars 33 to 40 are shown in Example 5.36.3

3 25 The orchestral version of ‘Justƒ Imagine’ includes 10 extra bars of introductory material, hence the bar Megannumbering between2 these two examples is different. j & 4 ! c w w œ bœ œ œ. œ b˙. œ Fly on a jour - ney round the

Ben 2 j . 186 & 4 ! c w w œ œ œ bœ. œ b˙ œ Fly on a jour - ney round the

w w œ j 2 ! c w w œ bœ œ . œ b˙. œ & 4 bœ. b ˙. œ Pno. ƒ P F P F œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ? 2 œ œ c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 ˙ w œ œ w œ œ w w w

Example 5.36: Megan and the eBike, ‘Just Imagine’ (bars 33 - 40)—Orchestral score.

187 Summary

By doing an analysis of both The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike I have discovered that analytical reflection on action has revealed two distinct approaches in my work: style and cultural juxtaposition as a structural device for creating imaginative works.

I have also found that there are many more varieties and juxtapositions of music than I had originally thought. My original plan for the musical was to have segments which were less than three minutes long and this was based on findings from the research into the maximum attention span of small children reported after the Sesame Street series of television programmes. The eventual forty-five segments in The Magic Jungle mean that they are only just over a minute and a half long on average. This shows that my aim for juxtapositional variety in the structure has exceeded my original plan through denser sectional changes via smaller segments.

My analysis of Megan and the eBike has shown me that the four-part hymn-like harmonies which were present in The Magic Jungle have been coloured even more as my compositional style has developed. The colourings of American hoedown, Chinese harmonies, and Australian didjeridu, for example, make for more culturally enhanced variety. The French-influenced-harmonies, jazz swing, Bartokian-influenced chords and organically-grown themes swelling to loud climaxes provide further varieties in the colourings.

Orchestrating the Megan and the eBike Suite has shown me how colours can be exploded further when played by an orchestra, and that there are exciting new possibilities to learn about this craft. Rhythms can be accentuated by using a full orchestra playing in cross rhythm syncopation, and textures can become very detailed and delicate, for

188 example, by using staccato in the string section. I have learned how to write soaring crescendos for a full orchestra which I find very cathartic.

189 Chapter Six: Conclusion - Imagination as Transformation

I consider that the escapist imagination and zany humour which underpin the stories, and the hidden colour references in the music of The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike have created escapist musical fantasy zones. These colour references are further exploded in the Megan and the eBike Suite. What started as a simple way to encourage

Chinese-speaking children with their English language and musical knowledge skills has been subverted into a sonic world with multiple layers, and with the aim of transformation and creating imaginative fantasy with an uplifting spirit. In the process I find that I have subverted my own didactic aims towards an imaginative multiplicity of sounds.

Structural Imagination

My music theatre compositions are built on the foundation of my imagination and personal creative voice. Through the use of sound as a tangential explosion and using a wide variety of colours and juxtapositional variety, I have aimed my work towards stimulating the imaginations of children from pre-kindergarten to primary levels. In the process I try to offer a transformative experience for them through words and music.

In the process of writing The Magic Jungle, Megan and the eBike and the Megan and the eBike Suite I have discovered that my musical voice emanates from a diverse collection of principles and influences which were discussed in chapter two, but that there are some unified thematics: a juxtapositional thread which runs through my work, using styles, cultural references, multiple places, diversity and colours to create variety, and which primarily emphasizes ‘imagination as transformation’.

190 Through doing an analysis of The Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike in chapter five I have seen that the underlying colour in my compositional styles comes from a foundation of four-part hymn harmony. However, on top of this are layers of many different colours and styles which range from French harmony, jazz, the poignant and ethereal, pop, rap, to an American hoe down, and Chinese-influenced harmonies.

Although it might appear that there are wildly explosive moments when there is no framework, all three works are in fact tightly controlled structurally. As I discovered in chapter two there is a need for an architectural plan for a work of this length. Both The

Magic Jungle and Megan and the eBike are based on the European and American tradition of music theatre, with influences from many of the early composers who have worked in this genre such as Hammerstein and Bernstein, and the current generation of composers, including Sondheim, Schwartz, and Lloyd Webber.

I have discovered in chapter two that my work as an author of children’s books for

Chinese-speaking children learning English has sparked my imagination and this aim has been continued into my writing of musicals for Chinese-speaking children in Hong Kong.

This, and my need to be creative, as discussed in chapter four, has been my main motivator in trying to create an imaginative world of sound. Emphasis on colour, juxtaposition and wild expansion are vital to support this imagination.

Personal Voice

On the microcosmic level this structured imagination has led to distinctiveness in my personal musical voice coming from imaginative sources drawn from life. Variety and humour are essential elements of my life’s story and have become the cornerstone of my

191 innate style. Sometimes this humour can be translated directly into music. When writing for children I have to be able to remember and feel what it was like to be a child and enter my own imaginary world as an escape. My textural zaniness draws on influences from

British children’s authors and their sense of humour, and also using educational ideas which are then exploded tangentially. Because of the sad childhood I experienced, I have a desire to pass on joyful experiences as a spiritually uplifting experience for other children.

I have found that my imagination works instinctively, and even subconsciously, and that many other creators have this same experience. It is also important, I have found, to keep an open mind as an idea may ‘arrive’ at any time. The use of ‘hooks’ is important to draw in a young audience, and juxtapositional variety is essential to sustain their interest. My use of fortissimos is important to me as a cathartic principle and this can also be a form of colouring and variety.

Voice versus Structure

My ‘mind map’ approach, discussed in chapter four, has to be controlled, but collaboration and dialogue are an enormous and essential part of creating musical theatre.

Looking at the creative processes I use has shown me that I am a risk-taker and can be out of my depth at times, and this emphasizes how important collaboration is.

By looking through the lens of a ‘reflective practitioner’, a term coined by Donald

Schön, (in chapter four) I have seen that there is an artistic cogency which is really a zany juxtapositional sense. There is also a structural dialogue with the micro-juxtaposition.

Imagination becomes the micro reference of style and culture in macro organisation. It is

192 as if a ‘musical house’ has been built, containing many ‘sound rooms’ to which children or adults can escape. All these ‘sound rooms’ have connotations whether they be zany lyrics, cultural references, spiritual connections to do with the hint of hymn tunes and harmonies, or ‘travelogue’ references. Much of the music leaves it up to the listeners to use their own imaginations.

Conclusion

Three authors who have spoken about imagination, and whom I quoted at the start, are, I believe, worth mentioning again: J.K. Rowling’s reference to imagination as being

“transformative” and “the only uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation” (Rowling, 2008, p. 67); Barber, who describes imagination as the mind in flight “soaring on the wings of memory, emotion, association and perception” (Barber, 2003, p. 2); and Palladino who refers to children’s imagination their “innate style of boundless, individualistic, divergent thinking”

(Palladino, 1997, p. xiii). I have tried to interpret all three of these descriptions and aims in my music theatre works, creating a sonic world which I hope will entice children to enter.

C. S. Lewis wrote of a “hall out of which doors open into several rooms.” His aim was to bring anyone into the hall, and he felt he would have done what he attempted if that happened. “But it is in the rooms,” he continued, “not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals” (Lewis, 1952, p. 10). This picture of a ‘house’ with ‘rooms’ ties in with what I have aimed to do. I hope that by entering into the ‘rooms’ of The Magic

193 Jungle and Megan and the eBike, children will find the musical equivalent of “fires and chairs and meals”.

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211 Glossary of Musical Terms

Ceiling A sustained upper texture motif or note.

Chorale theme A soft consonant chordal progression which moves slowly.

Colour The intrinsic character of sounds. This can be achieved by chordal vertical sonority, such as a ninths, elevenths, thirteenths chords. Colour can also be used to describe the tone of different instruments.

Juxtapositional structure A structural unit containing a series of thematic juxtapositions.

Palm cluster The use of a clenched fist playing the piano in a stabbing motion.

Pentatonic A scale which commonly has five notes, commonly used in Chinese music.

Personal voice The characteristic sounds that the composer uses to express ideas, thoughts and feelings in music.

Timbre the tone of a particular instrument.

212 Appendix 1

Areas of particular difficulty for Chinese speakers learning English

Chang, J. (2001). Chinese speakers. Swan and Smith, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Chapter 20, pp. 224-237.

Summary of the English sounds that Chinese speakers find the most difficult to pronounce:

Vowel sounds The long vowels: “eat” is sometimes pronounced “it” and “bean” as “bin” “Fool” as “full”, and “look” as “luke” “Carp”, “cup” and “cap” are often confused And also “shot”, “short”, “shout” “u” is sometimes replaced by “a” which is a close approximation to a Chinese phoneme. Diphthongs are sometimes pronounced too quickly with not enough distinction between the two component vowels

Consonants p, b and t d, k and g v w are all difficult n and l can be confused such as in “night, light” in many dialects “tin”, “fin” or “sin” can all be confused “this” is sometimes pronounced as “dis” or “zis” “h” is sometimes pronounced as “ch” as in “loch” D, t, f are sometimes confused As are “l” and “r” so that “fried rice” often becomes “flied lice” Final consonants are usually omitted such as “duck”, “wife”, “war” and final position “bill”, “rill”, or “beer”.

Consonant clusters Initial consonant clusters such as spoon becomes “sippoon” Final clusters “dogs” or “crisps” are difficult to pronounce

Rhythm and stress Chinese use far fewer syllables (so learners give the weak syllable equal emphasis) “Fish and chips’ (sometimes has the “and” stressed) “The capital of England is London” (“The’s” and “and’s” are sometimes emphasized). When students try to reduce the accent on the English weak forms they sometimes find them so hard to pronounce that they omit them so that “fish and chips” becomes “fishchips”

Intonation Pitch changes in Chinese (the tones) are used to distinguish words. In English intonation patterns are used to affect the meaning of a whole utterance. Therefore Chinese learners tend to pronounce English with a flat, jerky or sing-song effect.

213

Juncture The mono-syllabilicity of basic Chinese units leads Cantonese speakers with unreleased final consonants which create glottal stops and a staccato effect because they cannot run words into each other. Chinese learners to run them into a ‘stream of speech’ which adds to the staccato effect of a Chinese accent.

214