Tenor - Rory Johnston
Piano - Greg Reid

The emotions of losing a loved one are what Nostalgia aims to explore. The poems, written by Eli Carvajal, fall into an arc of sweet remembrance followed by sorrow and then a realisation of loneliness. This is mirrored by their use of seasonal themes, beginning with the summer sun and ending with bare trees in winter. 

The introduction attempts to evoke the protagonist’s despair, forcing an escape from reality through fleeting memories. Initially quite joyful; each passing song darkens the protagonist’s reverie until it is eclipsed by an overwhelming crisis; Realisation, the piano interlude, which marks the beginning of a downward spiral of depression.

Throughout this song cycle I combine the wistful lyricism of German Lieder written by composers such as Schumann, Schubert and Wolf, with the ethereal sound world of Toru Takemitsu to try to achieve a sense of timelessness and reflection. 

The cycle is left open ended, with the protagonist singing of their isolation, and reminding the listener that sometimes in life things don’t resolve the way we’d want them to.

Dedicated to Paul James Moscardini



Nostalgia - Song Cycle for High Voice and Piano

VIII. Lone

VII. Oh let me fall from sight and die

Nostalgia - Song Cycle for High Voice and Piano

rorywainwrightjohnston