"May - A May-day Memory" by Eliza Flower (1803–1846)is for solo voice and piano, from “Songs of the Months” published by A. J. Novello in December 1834. It is performed by Frances M Lynch for electric voice theatre.
The words of the song were written by ALEXANDER HUME (1809–1851, Poet.

We are releasing each "Song of the Month" on it's allotted date during 2023. Please go to our "Flower of the Month" page to hear more https://www.electricvoicetheatre.co.uk/flower-of-the-month/



In nature the flower of this month is lily of the valley, known to symbolise humility, sweetness, the return of happiness and motherhood.

"May - A May-day Memory" By Eliza Flower

The Painting was recorded at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland by Amy Stewart (piano), Rebekah Lesan (cello) and Scott Bryant (violin) on 22nd May 2023.

This piece is not inspired by anything as such but is instead a musical response to my thoughts and frustrations with the phenomenon of inspiration itself. With Salvador Dali’s painting of Christ of St John at the Cross in mind, I wrote this piece from a distant perspective, acknowledging several different facets of inspiration: my own thoughts and feelings about the painting, the responses the public had to the painting as I witnessed them looking at it in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, my own reaction to my own response after looking at the painting, and more generally my own attitude to composing and creating art under pressure.

The Painting

Far We Bide was premiered by the Learig Orchestra on 3rd December 2022, in Aberdeen.

Far We Bide has been written as a collaboration between the players of the Learig Orchestra, and composer Amy Stewart. The piece is designed as a musical tapestry, with the wonderful region of Aberdeenshire at its centre. As the river Dee flows from mountain to sea, so this piece uses moments along that journey, and other places dear to the player's of the orchestra's hearts, as inspiration. The music incorparates a theme, written to encompass that flowing of the river through all the beautiful parts of Aberdeenshire, but more generally, the flowing of time. Underneath, a solid ground bass represents the land of Aberdeenshire, a constant, firm bedrock to which we return again and again. And as we return to these places, through changing seasons, these moments, we colour them with our memories and our emotions, and so the colours and textures in the piece evolve and change. The period of lockdown for all of us was hard, and lonely, but made bearable by the beautiful landscape that surrounded us in Aberdeenshire. Another element of the piece is the theme of lonliness and gradually coming together again, to gather and share the joy of music. This piece is just a glimpse of what our gratitude to our local landscape sounds like.

Far We Bide

Short composition for 34-piece orchestra.

Placed 3rd in a recent competition run by Eric Turnnessen in conjunction with the Northern Film Orchestra.

Photo - Idea Rizkha - pexels

Show Me Your World (Spring 2023)

"An Art of Poetry" for Mixed Choir (SSATB) - Jonathan Love

Awarded first prize at the 2024 Edinburgh Sacred Arts Festival's young composer competition. Premiered by the Sacred Arts Festival Singers on August 15th, 2024.

An Art of Poetry (2024) - Jonathan Love

Challenged to write a song in an hour - this is my effort!

Extra Hour

A Sea Dirge

SSAATTBB 
Setting of words by George Mackay Brown about Magnus Erlendsson's vigil in Egilsay Kirk the night before his martydom.
This is a recording of a rehearsal with piano support. No piano in score.

Egilsay Kirk (SSAATTBB - piano for rehearsal only)

Falling Asleep By Clara - Jane Maunder (Go Compose 2016)

A setting for solo voice and piano of text by Alfred Noyes, performed by Simone Ibbett-Brown – Mezzo-Soprano & Frances M Lynch - Piano
Recorded individually in the musicians homes during the Covid-19 Pandemic and first performed for a Soundings from Essex event in August 2020 https://www.electricvoicetheatre.co.uk/

“I cannot tell why,
But the rustling of grass,
As the summer winds pass thro’ the fields where I lie,
Brings to life a lost day, 
Long ago, 
Far away,
When in childhood I lay, 
Looking up at the sky, and the white clouds that pass, 
Trailing isles of grey shadow across the gold grass,
O, the dreams that drift by,
With the slow flowing years, hopes, memories, tears
In the rustling of grass.”

The Rustling of Grass by Avril Coleridge-Taylor

Anne Warthmann, soprano
Anaël Bonnet, piano

Musique Anaël Bonnet, texte Anne Warthmann, extrait de "Pastiches et correspondance" hommage à F. Poulenc 
Editions Klarthe