Ja Nus Hons Pris - Owain Phyfe

A symphonic concertante poem for violin and cello accompanied by string orchestra and harpsicord.

soloists:
- Maria Eklektou | violin
- Ioannis Stefos | violoncello

Unicorn

A La Claire Fontaine

Mor karbasi - judia

Vocal Improvisation 
Ongoing Project, newborn idea
Means used: voice, claps
Cubase 5, C1 Behringer

Lyrics

Hey child, do you understand
how we look, when we fall in the land
Hey child, do you realise
we should fall, before they know we're done

Hey pal, can you look my hand
we should leave 
when we are so far

Hey you sound
so sad inside
in the mud
you will take your eyes

Can't you see
how far we reach
Do we know
what is underneath?

Hey child
do you know your eyes?
You should fall
in the land we cry

See your father
in the ways he shouts
Undercover
when his worth is out

See your mother
when her tears are dry
can't you fall
when you're already dying

Can't we see the lines that stay inside?
can't we say the ways, the ways we hide
can't wee the lies that build inside
in our little minds

cant we see the screams we choke inside
cant we see the lies we paint to shine
can't we see the light?

For million years we stayed
inside our little cave
for million years we stayed
inside the weirdest prayers

We are preys of the world
consoling the lands
we are hunters of a soul
hidden in the sand

I see the lights
in which we paint ourselves
inside the mountains hide
inside the soil you cry

Release the inner fight
to reach the better light
Release your inner sight
to reach your higher smile.


Photo: Katnsei, Corinthian Port, 2018.

The  Land of Mud (vocal improvisation)

Recording: ERT National Symphony Orchestra, Conductor: Zoe Zeniodi. Radiomegaro, Athens (January, 2019).

Recording: ERT National Symphony Orchestra, Conductor: Zoe Zeniodi. Radiomegaro, Athens (January, 2019).


The composition is an orchestral piece in three movements
which draws inspiration from the poem Zero Star Cognac by the greek poet Kiki Dimoula. In this poem a photograph arouses memories and nostalgic feelings to the poet about the beautiful, carefree and vivid moments of the past that over the years have vanished. The title of the poem Zero Star Cognac refers the inevitable loss of her youth and its vigour due to the relentless passing of time.

Zero star cognac

The prattle of tears is all to no avail.
When disorder speaks order must remain silent - loss is very experienced indeed.
Now we must stand by the side of What’s futile.
So that memory can little by little recover its eloquence
So it may offer fine advice on longevity
To whatever’s dead. Let’s stand by the side of this little
Photograph still in the prime of its future: young people embracing somewhat
unavailingly before an anonymously merry beach.
Is this Nafplio Euboea Skopelos? But then again Wasn’t everywhere by the
sea back then?

Kiki Dimoula

In the composition, I created a metaphor of this idea, reflecting musically the
transcience of the beautiful, romantic, innocent, childlike and naïve part of ourselves that can easily fade away due to external influences. In Kiki Dimoula’s poem, the distancing of the beautiful is not upon us but upon time, as time is the crucial factor of that distancing. In the metaphor I created, this kind of ephemerality depends on our decision to keep alive or not this romantic, innocent and honest aspect of ourselves throughout the course of our lives. Thus, throughout the whole piece two contrasting elements are featured:
a) The musical element of the “inner, innocent and romantic self” is inspired by the
theme of “youth” explored in the poem.
(b) The musical element of the “external influences of a decaying chaotic world” is inspired by the theme of “time” explored in the poem.
In an attempt to depict musically these features, I combined both expressive, lyrical and melodic musical material to reflect the youth/innocence, as well as contemporary elements and techniques – where polyrythms, extended techniques and ambiguities prevail – in order to express the passing of time/the intrusion of the “external”. The piece has a linear narrative character which is based on the idea of the gradual distancing of youth/ innocence. This idea determines the formal structure of the piece.
The intensity of the presence of youth/innocence is different in each movement. For example, it is more intense in the first movement, less obvious in the second movement and more subdued and faint in the third movement.

Ζero Star Cognac  - 3rd movement

Recording: ERT National Symphony Orchestra, Conductor: Zoe Zeniodi. Radiomegaro, Athens (January, 2019).


The composition is an orchestral piece in three movements
which draws inspiration from the poem Zero Star Cognac by the greek poet Kiki Dimoula. In this poem a photograph arouses memories and nostalgic feelings to the poet about the beautiful, carefree and vivid moments of the past that over the years have vanished. The title of the poem Zero Star Cognac refers the inevitable loss of her youth and its vigour due to the relentless passing of time.

Zero star cognac

The prattle of tears is all to no avail.
When disorder speaks order must remain silent - loss is very experienced indeed.
Now we must stand by the side of What’s futile.
So that memory can little by little recover its eloquence
So it may offer fine advice on longevity
To whatever’s dead. Let’s stand by the side of this little
Photograph still in the prime of its future: young people embracing somewhat
unavailingly before an anonymously merry beach.
Is this Nafplio Euboea Skopelos? But then again Wasn’t everywhere by the
sea back then?

Kiki Dimoula

In the composition, I created a metaphor of this idea, reflecting musically the
transcience of the beautiful, romantic, innocent, childlike and naïve part of ourselves that can easily fade away due to external influences. In Kiki Dimoula’s poem, the distancing of the beautiful is not upon us but upon time, as time is the crucial factor of that distancing. In the metaphor I created, this kind of ephemerality depends on our decision to keep alive or not this romantic, innocent and honest aspect of ourselves throughout the course of our lives. Thus, throughout the whole piece two contrasting elements are featured:
a) The musical element of the “inner, innocent and romantic self” is inspired by the
theme of “youth” explored in the poem.
(b) The musical element of the “external influences of a decaying chaotic world” is inspired by the theme of “time” explored in the poem.
In an attempt to depict musically these features, I combined both expressive, lyrical and melodic musical material to reflect the youth/innocence, as well as contemporary elements and techniques – where polyrythms, extended techniques and ambiguities prevail – in order to express the passing of time/the intrusion of the “external”. The piece has a linear narrative character which is based on the idea of the gradual distancing of youth/ innocence. This idea determines the formal structure of the piece.
The intensity of the presence of youth/innocence is different in each movement. For example, it is more intense in the first movement, less obvious in the second movement and more subdued and faint in the third movement.

Ζero Star Cognac -  2nd movement

LA SEULE ISSUE - MAIN THEME

Un jour 
Je suis partie
Loin de lui
Parce ce que c'etait fini
Mais c'est la vie

Un jour le coeur qui bat
Et l'autre qui s'en va
Je dois rester forte
Faut que je m'en sorte
J'ai fermé la porte

C'est un jeu l'amour
Où tu plonges tu nages
Et le temps qui coule
N'est pas une menace
Tout ce que j'ai vecu
Sort à la surface
Et je suis en face
Faut tourner la page

Unicorn

elfspell

Related tracks