Jane Stanley’s Composeher work, 14 Weeks, has been nominated for an Ivors Classical Award for Best Community and Participation Composition.
The work, which sets a text of the same name by Australian poet, Judith Bishop, reflects upon the experience of the early stages of pregnancy, written from the point of view of a mother-to-be speaking to her developing baby.
Jane says of the work: “I was motivated to set a text that explored a strong female perspective, and a key idea that I explore musically, resonating with the text, is the concept of growth. I seek to do this particularly in terms of texture and form.
Commencing from the point of a single note, voices gradually enter into the texture independently, women first, followed by men, repeating words and phrases derived from the poem. The intention in doing this was to evoke the idea of fragility and vulnerability, but also the rapid and complex division of biological cells that are inherent to the growth of a foetus in utero. I also sought to create something that sounds resonant and immersive. To achieve this I drew significantly on elements of tonality, harnessing the resonance of consonant triads and familiar scale patterns from major and minor scales. Underpinning passages of unfolding organic growth is an element of tension which is produced through drone-like pedals sung by tenor and bass voices.”
Speaking about the announcement, Jane says: “I’m so thrilled to be shortlisted, and very grateful to the Glasgow School of Art Choir for commissioning me in the first place. This is the icing on the cake!”