Fraser Dalziel, who sings bass in the GSA Choir, writes about his experience of rehearsing Papilionum – composed by Sarah Rimkus, with lyrics by Maria Sibylla Merian.
My journey learning music and performing started when I was lucky to have the opportunity to play cornet at school, joined a brass band and started playing transcriptions of classical music and original music. Before joining the GSA Choir I did not sing, so I have learned there are many differences between singing and playing an instrument – hearing the note is even more important when singing and learning to pitch intervals accurately is imperative. No more crutch of pressing a valve and knowing the note will be close! Also singing technique at times seems endlessly complicated by vowel sounds, tongue and mouth shape, and is full of challenges. I am grateful to the GSA choir and the Musical Director, Jamie Sansbury, for introducing me to choral music. My wife, Siobhan, joined the ensemble before me, 8 years ago, and I responded to the call for more men. Siobhan started as an alto and I as a tenor (now soprano and bass respectively – I said it was a journey).
Papilionum by Sarah Rimkus is inspired by Maria Sibylla Merian’s famous and highly illustrated book of plants and insects. I found this choice by Sarah unusual for several reasons, including its non-human focus and scientific passion. Although there are countless works inspired by plants and flowers, I have never come across one which is a scientific journal (though what a journal). In this work, the lyrics are taken directly from the book which catalogues and closely describes sightings of caterpillars, especially when they are metamorphosing. This choice puzzled me for a while as it is descriptive and in a naïve language (I’ve since learned this is partly due to the translation) – I am used to singing lyrics which are poetry or religious texts. I could not initially understand why we were singing about the pineapple, jasmine and the insects living on them. An answer to this came to me when I stopped singing and simply listened to the choir; I seemed to have become lost in my own individual part.
My pet theory before I read the composer’s generously informative blogs was that the music was a depiction of Merian’s excitement at her discoveries. The work struck me as a depiction of the sense of discovery, a passion and excitement the author clearly held and was writing of. For me, the music is revealing this excitement as well as the movement of the subject matter she describes in her writings. This interpretation of the music as a depiction of a person’s perception allows me to access it more easily.
One of my fellow GSA Choir singers, Catherine Mooney, evoked her response to the mesmeric nature of early rehearsals of Papilionum. At that stage of rehearsing the five movements it was indeed a challenge to get the full picture of the music: far more than most music, the whole relies on the interplay of all the parts together. The rehearsing method in choir is largely by Jamie’s impressive (bass to soprano range) demonstration through playing and singing, and our repetition; this repetition leads to the lines in Sarah’s work becoming almost hypnotic. As we have come to know the music better, piecing together the individual parts (and if it is not too much of a leap), the music is revealing itself much like the transformations and interplay of organisms described by Maria Sibylla Merian.
The standout line for me is from movement 3, ‘The worm’s teeth grow, expand and become the beetle’s antennae.’ What an observation! I feel closer to Merian singing this and am grateful to Sarah for bringing these observations to life.
An a capella concert is the most challenging for a choir to sing, so Composeher is an exceptionally brave project to arrange. Therefore, I am pleased I will have some preparation as I am lucky enough to be singing in another a cappella concert – with the RSNO Chorus – at the end of March. This has one piece composed by a woman, Janet Beat, Bow thine ear, and one arranged by Sarah Quartel, How can I keep from singing? (Robert Lowry). I look forward to this as preparation for a successful Composeher concert in May.