Insights into an Original SSAA Choral Work of Donald Patriquin: Songs of Innocence: On Poems of William Blake
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Description
Canadian composer, conductor, pianist, and organist Donald Patriquin (b. 1938) is
best known for his choral folksong arrangements but is also a composer of many original
works. Songs of Innocence, which Patriquin calls “one of my very best choral works,”
exemplifies his approach to setting text to music and provides a rich opportunity for
understanding Patriquin’s method of selecting text, creating a kind of libretto out of the
available text, setting the text to music, and conceiving of and composing instrumental
parts equal in importance to the choral parts. Also evident in this work is his attention to
such elements as precise word painting, varied theoretical approaches, and a general
musical aesthetic that focuses on beauty. This quintessential composition provides
important insights into Patriquin’s personal artistry and his approach to composition.
Patriquin does not fit text to music; instead, all of the musical elements are generated out
of the textual nuances. Patriquin’s comments on the work and his process, gleaned from
extensive email correspondence and his attendance at the U.S. premiere of the work,
provide important insights that can inform conductors and singers of his music. The study
of this suite highlights Patriquin’s expert crafting of musical elements and the methodical
layering of elements he combines to tell the musical story. Pairing Patriquin’s email
correspondence with an in-depth look at Songs of Innocence reveals his overarching
compositional ideas and underlying musical motivations.
best known for his choral folksong arrangements but is also a composer of many original
works. Songs of Innocence, which Patriquin calls “one of my very best choral works,”
exemplifies his approach to setting text to music and provides a rich opportunity for
understanding Patriquin’s method of selecting text, creating a kind of libretto out of the
available text, setting the text to music, and conceiving of and composing instrumental
parts equal in importance to the choral parts. Also evident in this work is his attention to
such elements as precise word painting, varied theoretical approaches, and a general
musical aesthetic that focuses on beauty. This quintessential composition provides
important insights into Patriquin’s personal artistry and his approach to composition.
Patriquin does not fit text to music; instead, all of the musical elements are generated out
of the textual nuances. Patriquin’s comments on the work and his process, gleaned from
extensive email correspondence and his attendance at the U.S. premiere of the work,
provide important insights that can inform conductors and singers of his music. The study
of this suite highlights Patriquin’s expert crafting of musical elements and the methodical
layering of elements he combines to tell the musical story. Pairing Patriquin’s email
correspondence with an in-depth look at Songs of Innocence reveals his overarching
compositional ideas and underlying musical motivations.