Track 5 (11:07)
Psalm of These Days IV for clarinet, reader, and tape (1978)/Edwin London “is a cycle of five works written between 1976 and 1980) for various combinations, approaches, dispositions, and colorations of voices and instruments. Utilizing biblical texts, but loosely inspired, also, by ideas drawn from a reading of William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience, this network of compositions tries to render, with (one hopes) some irony apparent, a series of religious postures either experienced and/or observed by the composer in a picaresque hejira through and to sundry spiritual states of sorts (from Once-Born Kazoo, Mass. in EVenTs of sham pain, ill and all, as well as Philly Childs-play mantra on the fly to the resurrected vocal bands of Believeland, Oh.--CLAP CLAP.)
Psalm of These Days IV, coming as it does after the turbulence of the cycle’s centerpiece, sets about forming an aura of meditation. The performers are awarded a grand degree of freedom in establishing the extent to which they commit themselves spiritually and/or or musically. Also, the work acts as bridge to the eventual descent back to the ‘public domain’ described in the concluding segment, Psalm of These Days V.” EL

The work consists of a realization of a sheet of suggestions accompanied by a tape provided by the composer. The reader, may, it is suggested, translate the Psalm (47:6) into other tongues and dialects to which Scripture has been translated, in this case, a live performance from 1988, Childs recites sixteen languages other than English. The tape is “manipulated” by University of Redlands Audio Engineer, Scott Vance. The clarinet, instructed to “strike and accord” with the tape, uses random-finger combinations throughout, and circular breathing.
Edwin London has taught at Smith College, The University of Illinois, and, as chairperson of the department of music, Cleveland State University. He studied with P.G.Clapp, Philip Bezanson, Luigi Dallapiccola and Darius Milhaud.

Psalm of These Days IV for clarinet, reader, and tape (1978)/Edwin London

Phillip Rehfeldt