When writing this piece I recalled a photograph of a strange apparition that was purportedly captured on film at Raynham Hall in England in1936. The Hall is supposed to be haunted by Dorothy Walpole, the sister of the 18th century English Prime Minister Robert Walpole. Dorothy’s husband imprisoned her at Raynham hall for committing adultery. She remained there until her death from smallpox in 1726.

 

 

The themes and history behind the specter inspired many gestural and theatrical ideas that could be worked musically. The work does not carry a narrative text, rather, the syllables, and in some instances, words, function to shape the sounds that are being produced by the soprano. The work travels through several highly charged emotional states, each of which explores different timbral nuances of the voice. Some of these emotional and timbral ideas are interlinked to invoke images of pain and create quite a disturbed atmosphere. I use exaggerated breathing, moans, groans and growls, all of which have strong associations with the imagery of extra-musical occurrences…..