The View From Here

The Ponder Heart Beats Anew

Ponder Heart from the Podium

Sing and Study with Alice Parker

As a composer setting a poem of, say, Emily Dickinson, my first responsibility is to work my way into the poem by reading it aloud, memorizing it, finding the tone of voice, the tempo and the rhythm of the words. I try to imagine myself into her attitude as she was writing the words. What is the emotional background – contemplative, rueful, wondering,joyous, deep gloom? I can never be sure – but the absence of such a frame means that the reading is dull: Just the facts.” I can never be certain that my approach was hers, and thankfully I can change my approach every time I read the poem. When, one day, I read it in a way that sounds new-minted, completely fresh, I can begin to hear the music in the words. Meanwhile I’ve explored many levels of ‘meaning’, meaning is just as elusive as mood: witness the continual flood of scholarly writings on her work. What is concrete for me is the sound of the syllables in my mouth: the beginning of the singing.

Take a short example – one of my favorites that begins:

Beauty: explosive ‘B’, diphthong ‘ee-oo’, ‘t’return to “ee” but this time closer to ‘ih’; accent on first syllable, lift on second. Crowds: explosive ‘k’, difficult ‘r’ (British?), wide open ‘ow’, pitched ‘d’, sibilant ‘s’; the whole needs space -- it can’t be crowded. Me: hummed ‘m’, return to ‘ee’; personal, inward rather than outward. Till: return to ‘t’ gentle ‘ih’, liquid pitched ‘ll’; small (opposite of ‘crowd’). I: 'diphthong ah-ee; personal again. Die: return to ‘d’, return to ‘ah-ee’; needs space.

The line is framed by huge words: Beauty . . . die; all but the first are of one syllable.

And that’s just the beginning. How much accent do I put on each syllable? What’s the relative weight of the syllables; or, what’s the dominant stress? (The meaning changes with each shift.) Other questions: Can I make the word sound like what it means? Can I find a tempo and ‘tone’ for the reading fast or slow, measured or free, high or low; sad or happy, inward or outward)?

Think melody: which syllables go up in pitch? where is the high point of the whole? does this phrase go up or down? What is the curve of the whole? How does it end? Only when the same melody recurs each time I come to the poem do I begin to write it down, and to hear the surrounding voices.

That’s a brief overview of the way I work ‘into’ the poem. The point I wish to emphasize here is that the poem must live in my mouth, must exist in sound vibrations, in the parallel worlds of musical space and time, before it can be notated. The writing-down is not the end of the process: that comes when the sounds are again brought to life. In a way, the writing-down is a detour: the idea into soundless black and white on a flat page. It compresses the song almost to death. The music and the poem live when they make the air and the heart vibrate.

But along with Halloween came a hard frost, and suddenly the hills are grey-brown, dotted by stands of dark-green pines and the occasional bright-yellow aspen. My lawn turned from green to dun, and the skeletons of trees make vertical stripes in the woods. White birches stand out like exclamation marks. Somehow the parsley bordering the planters is still bright green – but the rest of the color spectrum is gone until April. No wonder we put up Christmas lights early in this latitude.

The time will change, too. It’s already dark at 5pm – next week it will be even earlier. That’s the signal for the woodstove to light up, and spread its cheer around the kitchen. Candles take on new importance, and flashlights are close at hand for the occasional dark corner. The summer clothes are put away for months, and winter woolies, newly released from chests and back closets feel mighty good on these cold mornings.

The land, and the psyche, pull inward in this in-between season. We’re waiting, preparing ourselves for the next real change: that first snow-fall. Once again my windows will reflect bright light, and call me outside to take part in the joys and tasks of winter.

Alice Parker’s operatic setting of The Ponder Heart was originally premiered in 1982 in Jackson, MI with author Eudora Welty a central part of the collaboration. With the assistance of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Local Massachusetts Cultural Councils, and Melodious Accord donors, this production was mounted in a concert version with the vibrant chorus of Melodious Accord, a chamber orchestra, and several outstanding soloists in the major roles.

The story is set in Clay County, Mississippi in the 1930’s, centering upon Uncle Daniel Ponder, an heir to the richest family in the country, his unstoppable generosity and his amorous adventures. He is surrounded by a colorful and eccentric troupe of townspeople from housemaids to lawyers and preachers. The music is a combination of jazz, blues, fox trot, waltz, and an unforgettable soulful tango duet. The chorus triumphed, reveling in the major strengths of Alice Parker’s composition.

Erica Powell, a striking coloratura soprano, played the young, bubble-gum chewing Bonnie Dee with eloquent fluidity to her rich high tones that perfectly served Alice Parker’s stylistic jazzy, scat-like riffs. The audience fell in love with the stentorian tenor voice of Archie Worley who played Uncle Daniel. Michael Riley had the perfect combination of fire-and-brim-stone fervor as the country preacher, with his rich bass doubling as the prosecuting attorney. DeYancey, the young lawyer sung by John Kawa, the Judge sung by Lewis White, Mr. Springer sung by Scott Wheatley, and Big John sung by Kannan Vasudevan, were all beautifully portrayed and Gail Blache-Gill offered comic resilience as the maid, Narciss Jacqueline Pierce sang the narrative role of Edna Earle with warmth and humor.

PONDER HEART FROM THE PODIUM

Almost two hundred people viewed the two performances in the small Federated Church in Charlemont, MA—friends and strangers from near and far. And they laughed and applauded all the way through. The story is so delightful, and music such a combination of jazz, blues, sentiment, soft-shoe, tango and waltz, that they couldn’t resist being caught up into it. There were comments afterwards like “That’s the first opera I’ve ever been to. I loved it!” And “How amazing to hear such an excellent professional performance in this small town. Thank you for bringing it here.”

The eighteen singers came from New York City for the week, and enjoyed being in the country at the height of the Fall ‘color’. Our eleven fine instrumentalists came from the surrounding area. It was a pleasure for me to work with such excellent musicians—and all of us hope for the opportunity to present the work again.
                                                               ----Alice Parker
 

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This year’s focus is of particular interest to Church Musicians, as it is based on the new Melodious Accord Hymnal.The group will study and sing the melodies and settings, with particular attention to style, mood and communicative power. Discussions will range over historical, theoretical, theological and poetic topics, as well as the place of hymns in the worship service, and the leading of congregational singing. This is an expanded version of the Score Study Program and includes elements of Alice Parker’sMelody StudiesandSong LeadingWorkshops.

The week includes a Spirituals SING in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr on January 16th (optional) and classes from 9 am to 4 pm on Monday through Friday. Another open SING from the Hymnal will be held on Wednesday evening, January 19th.

Conductors, composers, organists, singers, poets, teachers, students and lovers of church music are welcome.

The program is designed as a 5 day sequence but individuals with scheduling constraints may arrange to participate for fewer than the full days. The fee will be adjusted on a pro rata basis.

Application available on line at www.melodiousaccord.org
 

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SAINTS BOUND FOR HEAVEN

20 favorite (and soon to be favorite
compositions and arrangements
by Alice Parker

Copyright 2010
Melodious Accord, Inc.
All rights reserved
To obtain permission to reprint any part of this newsletter
send requests in writing to:
Melodious Accord, Inc.
96 Middle Road
Hawley, MA 01339

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