My early background in music is in piano and choral singing and I didn’t start to compose until I was about 24. I have been composing steadily since then but having retired from my position as a lecturer in music at DCU over six years ago, composition has been full-time. At this point I have composed for pretty-well everything from solo instruments to large chorus with symphony orchestra and though my choral music is probably the best known, I have composed more chamber music than anything else. Sometimes I collaborate with visual artist Marie Hanlon; we had a joint installation show at the MAC in Belfast recently called LAST ACT – a three-channel video installation with music which was essentially about the climate crises.
The commission itself is an incentive and an inspiration. It brings with it a definite performance, particular forces or performers, and the all-important deadline. In this case, because the piece is a celebration of Music Network’s 40th Anniversary, texts with a positive slant were chosen on the theme of ‘Hope’. The three poems are “Hope” is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickenson, A Song of Hope by Charles Bertram Johnson and Invictus by William Earnest Henley; each one takes a different approach to the topic and the poems lend themselves well to a three-movement piece. The work is composed for choir, piano trio and strings and balancing these forces was a major part of the composition. I had in mind the concerto grosso form where a solo group (the piano trio) play passages which alternate with and then join the larger groups.
An important consideration was the distinct and individual groups involved in this Music Network project. Firstly, Trio Bohémo, the brilliant, vibrant piano trio from the Czech Republic who are in demand all over the world, will play in the two performances: Drogheda and Tralee. Each of the venues will have its own choir: Setanta in Louth and Cór Seoda Tíre in Kerry, and also its own Music Generation String Ensemble who are all under 18 – you could say that these young musicians are the physical embodiment of all our hope for the future.
Some things are consistent in every case. I need to work in the mornings, starting immediately after breakfast, before anything else can intrude. I usually don’t check emails or keep my phone nearby until at least noon.
I move between the sitting room (with piano) and my study, sketching ideas by hand and then notating them on the computer. I often develop material directly on the computer, so only the initial ideas are written on manuscript paper. As I have terrible handwriting, if ideas aren’t notated fairly quickly, I may not be able to decipher the scribbles. Of course, not all ideas are kept—many end up in the bin and gathering the initial material can sometime be a bit tortuous. I should explain what I mean by ‘material’ – it may be a harmonic pattern, or rhythmic gestures, melodic fragments or unusual sounds; It is always a relief to reach what I call ‘a critical mass’ when I know the bones of the piece are there. At that stage I can work longer days, becoming anxious to finish, but usually complete everything ahead of the deadline.
At different stages of my life, I have been drawn to different composers but haven’t really had ‘favourite’ composers for a long time. I like music which is expressive, individual, and which is well defined structurally. Composers who come to mind right now are Beethoven, Bartok, Britten, George Crumb, Kaija Saariaho, Georg Haas, James MacMillan and Pascal Dusapin, but there are many others I also admire. And I like jazz, especially the work of Lynne Ariale and Brad Meldau.
There are many challenges – and challenge is part of the attraction! With every work comes a brand-new start – it seems that no amount of experience makes it easier because I am always looking to make something fresh and something better.
The best thing about being a composer is the people you get to meet along the way. Music tends to attract people who are genuinely curious, committed, and deeply engaged, whether they’re performing, creating, or simply listening. I’ve met some truly wonderful musicians whose passion and dedication are inspiring, and I also really enjoy talking with concertgoers who don’t play or sing themselves but just love music. Composing is solitary, but through performance it becomes about sharing it and connecting with people.
There are two portrait CDs: A Different Game (chamber music) and Sempiternam (choral) both on the Métier, Divine Art Recording labels. There is much available on Spotify, and RTÉ lyric often play pieces. More information can be found through the Contemporary Music Centre Dublin cmc.ie and my own website: rhonaclarke.com