Solstice in the Borderland G. Lorimer – February 2016 i Electronic Thesis Declaration Author Name: Georgie Lorimer (G. Lorimer) Title of work: Solstice in the Borderland: a concert to be performed beneath an arch & Programme Notes Supervisor/Department: Prof. Tiffany Atkinson – English and Creative Writing Research grant (if any): ............................................................................................... Qualification/Degree obtained: PhD (Creative Writing) Section A (for candidates agreeing to open access now or following an embargo period) Details of the Work I hereby authorise deposit of the above item in the digital repository maintained by Aberystwyth University, and/or in any other repository authorised for use by Aberystwyth University. This item is a product of my own research endeavours and is covered by the agreement below in which the item is referred to as “the Work”. 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That if, as a result of my having knowingly or recklessly given a false statement at points 1, 2, 3 or 4 above, the University or the National Library of Wales suffers loss, I will make good that loss and indemnify Aberystwyth University and the National Library of Wales for all actions, suits, proceedings, claims, demands and costs occasioned in consequence of my false statement. iii Candidate’s Surname/Family Name: Lorimer Candidate’s Forenames: Georgie Candidate for the Degree of: PhD Academic year the work submitted for examination: 2015 Full title of thesis: Solstice in the Borderland: a concert to be performed beneath an arch & Programme Notes ______________________________________________________________________ Summary: Solstice in the Borderland is a concert of poetry in which the inherent musicalities of language and an understanding of sound relations are brought to the fore. In a similar vein to the ballads and romances that were a major part of oral traditions, these two works each tell a different, individual story, focused by the four dominant aspects of narrative (place, person, philosophical purpose, and plot), and aided by the specific musical structures in which they are composed. The poems in this sequence are: ‘Un-sained Strings’: a folksong suite portraying the ongoing history of Ludlow, marcher town and former ‘capital’ of Wales. ‘Chase of the Beast Glatisant’: a reworking of the Arthurian legends, constructed in the form of a four movement symphony. This poem follows the idea of the grail quest and is written in the voice of Malory’s Nimue figure, Nenive. My endeavour with this project has been to reinvigorate the musical nature of verse through the appropriation of techniques designed for the composition of western orchestral music (such as harmony, melody, tonality, dynamic and orchestral structures) and the combination of these with a sympathy for the euphonious patterns of language. Through the consideration of current composers, such as James MacMillan and Jeffrey Lewis, alongside contemporary poets, I have demonstrated how poetry may be constructed around a true musical centre within twenty-first century verse, as it once was when poetry was primarily an oral/aural art form. iv Solstice in the Borderland – a concert to be performed beneath an arch Georgie Lorimer to Vivienne 1 “I found him whome my soule loueth : I helde him, and would not let him goe, vntill I had brought him into my mothers house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.” - Song of Solomon 3:4 - “How still the evening is, As hush’d on purpose to grace harmony!” - Much Ado About Nothing - 2 – Programme – Acknowledgements 4 Pre-concert Talk 5 Un-sained Strings 14 Prelude - Theme and Variations 17 Intermezzo - Dance 43 March 63 - Interval - 90 Chase of the Beast Glatisant 92 I - allegro on the death of a king 95 II - marcia funebre e danza, alla sognare 125 III - scherzo of the questing beast (nocturne) 170 IV - allegro vivace : fugato 182 Programme Notes 221 Introduction 223 Oral Traditions and Musically Orientated Poetics 229 An Introduction to Music in Poetry 248 Solstice in the Borderland and the Story Poem 273 The Appropriation of Musical Forms and Structures 289 Melody and Harmony Within Language 317 Conclusion 350 Bibliographies 357 Bibliography to Programme Notes 358 Additional Bibliography 368 Appendices 389 Notations and Sources 390 Phonetic Alphabet 400 Musical Setting of ‘Misereri in old Reds’ 401 3 – Acknowledgements – I would like to extend my thanks to Ludlow Museum Resource Centre and its staff for the assistance they offered in relation to my research into the history and persons of Ludlow, and to Thomas Flint, Rich Moores and Leanne Hollis of the Thomas Stanley Retinue of the Wars of the Roses Federation for introducing me to fifteenth-century armour and fighting techniques. I also wish to thank Dr Jayne Archer, Dr Chris Collins, Dr David Evans, Dr David Russell Hulme, Dr Jeffrey Lewis, Professor Christian Leitmeir, Professor Helen Wilcox, and the members of Cantiqua Nova for their invaluable deliberations on the combinations of language and music; Ellen Mason and Cantorion Madrigalau Elisabethaidd for creating musical settings and singing segments from these poems; Dean Mattox and Ian Robert Lorimer for their assistance in preliminary research; and Christine Poon and H. M. Lorimer for their correspondence throughout the early drafts and ideas for these poems. Further acknowledgements are due to J. A. Lorimer for tolerating my company in walking the Ridgeway, O. M. Lorimer for tales of butterflies and other lepidopterae, and A. P. L. Lorimer for his persistent recognition of the importance of Fridays. Finally, considerable thanks are owed to my primary and secondary supervisors Professor Tiffany Atkinson, Dr Rosie Dub and Dr Kelly Grovier who have guided me through both the creative and critical elements of this project. 4 – Pre-concert Talk – Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you all for braving this evening’s somewhat uncertain elements. Before we begin I must first dispense with these tedious formalities : In the event of fire Please proceed with all due haste in any direction where the flames are not. If struck by rain or semblance of storm We shall get wet. To reduce the likelihood of any unpleasantness Please place your mobiles in casket provided. Finally, You are all invited to linger ’til dusk For post-concert drinks During which time I’m sure all involved Will be more than willing to pass comment on queries. But first, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to our pre-concert talk, A fairly rare discussion with – well – Crikey! I’m not quite sure how to describe you – A discussion with an instrument? – A discussion with a music? Well, ’tis immaterial, With someone that requires no descriptive words from me : [ applause ] 5 Madam, welcome.