Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2015 A Performer's Guide to Ivor Gurney's The esW tern Playland (and of Sorrow) Ridley Chauvin Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Chauvin, Ridley, "A Performer's Guide to Ivor Gurney's The eW stern Playland (and of Sorrow)" (2015). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2469. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2469 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. A PERFORMER’S GUIDE TO IVOR GURNEY’S THE WESTERN PLAYLAND (AND OF SORROW) A Monograph Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by Ridley Chauvin B.M., The New England Conservatory of Music, 1988 M.M., Louisiana State University, 2006 December 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank members of my committee, “Members of the Board,” for their support and patience during this process, and for acknowledging the importance of this monograph, and my topic. Professor Jesse, I am grateful for your unwavering support on all levels through my Doctor of Musical Arts studies. Your inspiration was and is a vital part of the singing artist and teacher I have become today. Your knowledge of vocal technique, song literature and research inspired me to always strive for my personal best. This allowed me to grow authentically while respecting the important vocal pedagogues of the past such as Helen Hodam, my undergraduate teacher at The New England Conservatory. Dr. Sims, I thank you for your tutelage in vocal pedagogy and dissertation formatting. In my current position as Assistant Professor at Morgan State University, I am head of vocal pedagogy and think of you often. Professor Grayson, I thank you for your guidance, my studies with you in the summer and your support during my tenure at Louisiana State University. Professors Moon and Richardson, thank you for agreeing to join my committee. In addition, I would like to thank Pamela Blevins and Philip Lancaster. Ms. Blevins is the author of the current biography on Ivor Gurney, and Mr. Lancaster is the archivist for the Gurney foundation. Thank you both for your email interviews. I would also like to thank John Conahan and Sabah for their technical advice. Ivor Gurney, I thank you for your contributions to the world of music, specifically for your composition: The Western Playland (and of Sorrow). Lastly, this degree would not have been possible without the support of my mother and father. For this, I will be eternally grateful. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF MUSIC EXAMPLES .............................................................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 1. IVOR GURNEY’S LIFE AND WORKS ....................................................................................... 2 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................... 2 COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS, MUSICAL WORKS AND INFLUENCES ............................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 2. ALFRED E. HOUSMAN .............................................................................................................. 15 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................. 15 POETIC COLLECTIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 18 POETIC STYLE AND LITERARY INFLUENCES ............................................................................................................ 19 GREEK AND LATIN POETS ........................................................................................................................................ 19 A SHROPSHIRE LAD ................................................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 3. MARION SCOTT AND IVOR GURNEY ................................................................................... 23 INTRODUCING MARION SCOTT ................................................................................................................................ 23 IVOR GURNEY AND MARION SCOTT’S PARTNERSHIP .............................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 4. THE WESTERN PLAYLAND (AND OF SORROW) PERFORMANCE GUIDE .......................... 30 REVEILLE .................................................................................................................................................................. 31 LOVELIEST OF TREES ................................................................................................................................................. 38 GOLDEN FRIENDS ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 TWICE A WEEK ........................................................................................................................................................... 49 THE ASPENS .............................................................................................................................................................. 57 IS MY TEAM PLOUGHING ............................................................................................................................................ 63 THE FAR COUNTRY .................................................................................................................................................... 75 MARCH ...................................................................................................................................................................... 80 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 87 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................................. 89 APPENDIX A. TEXTS ........................................................................................................................................ 91 APPENDIX B. SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY OF SOLO SONGS .................................................................... 95 APPENDIX C. LIST OF PUBLISHED SOLO SONGS ...................................................................................... 96 APPENDIX D. EMAIL INTERVIEWS WITH PAMELA BLEVINS ................................................................ 98 APPENDIX E. EMAIL INTERVIEWS WITH PHILIP LANCASTER ............................................................ 102 iii APPENDIX F. PERMISSION ............................................................................................................................ 104 VITA ................................................................................................................................................................... 106 iv LIST OF MUSIC EXAMPLES Example 1: Reveille, mm. 1-4 ............................................................................................................................... 33 Example 2: Reveille, mm. 4-11 ............................................................................................................................. 33 Example 3: Reveille, mm. 30-37 ........................................................................................................................... 34 Example 4: Reveille, mm. 41-45 ........................................................................................................................... 35 Example 5: Reveille, mm. 52-60 ........................................................................................................................... 36 Example 6: Reveille, mm. 60-64 ........................................................................................................................... 37 Example 7: Loveliest of Trees, mm.1-4 ................................................................................................................ 40 Example 8: Loveliest of Trees, mm. 5-15 ............................................................................................................. 40 Example 9: Loveliest of Trees, mm.