To One (Op.9)

1985, 8 minutes

A set of five songs for soprano and piano

  1. Empty Night
  2. To Entice You
  3. The Day We Met
  4. I Learn My Name
  5. Christening

This set of five songs was composed in 1985 and was first performed that year by soprano (and the poet), Christina Rees in Harston, near Cambridge, UK. The poems evoke the countless moods associated with a relationship.

The first song evokes the desolation of a separation; free use of tonality, chromaticism and a persistent use of the augmented fourth interval within a minor mode, all reinforce the feeling of despair.

The mood lightens with the second song: erotic, seductive lyrics are enclosed within a gently sardonic waltz-style structure.

The third song uses a straightforward ternary structure, where the outer sections revert to unusually juxtaposed chords, as in the opening songs.

The fourth song is more relaxed, and uses a simple jazz-style piano chording to enhance the rather blatantly suggestive lyrics.

'Christening' concludes the set in triumphant mood. Set within a firm A Major tonality, it once again utilises chording remote from this key and chord clusters perhaps suggesting an ominous fragility beneath the superficial confidence of this finale.

Listen

You can listen to To One on scoreexchange.com.

Performances