Vocal · 2023
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The text that this song is set to is “As One Listens to the Rain” by Octavio Paz, which is one of the most emotionally moving poems I have ever read. It is serene and gives me a sense of timelessness and weightlessness, a comforting dream-like state. Sections of the song are separated by the repetition of the words ‘listen to me’. For me this poem is about being asleep yet awake, not concerned about the trivial worries of the world and just being at peace in the present moment. The climax depicts a beautiful rebirth using imagery of nature.
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This song was performed by Arushi Das and Angela Ng at the January 23 2023 Student Composer Concert and the January 28 UTNMF SNATS showcase! I am grateful for those who shared some kind words after the concerts and I look forward to writing another song for Arushi and Angela.
I wanted to write a song for Arushi Das’ captivating voice which has a dark and powerful sound. My collaboration with Arushi Das did not only involve getting to know her voice, but she also chose the text, helped with the text interpretation, and suggested the singing into the piano technique. The piano part has a more orchestral sound in mind because it was written with the pianist Angela Ng in mind, who is very agile in her playing and can deploy a thunderous sound when the music calls for it.
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