The title is a phrase taken from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem ‘Work without Hope’, a sonnet where seasonal imagery permeates as both a reflection of the natural world and as a reference to the narrator’s psychological state. The Soprano narrator is isolated in a world of spring beauty with her graceful melodic lines, starkly contrasting the vitality heard in the ensemble that surrounds her. 

I wrote this work during my first year of University after being drawn to the message contained in the poem’s final couplet, that without hope, there can never be success. This sentiment is one which is felt now more than ever due to the difficult circumstances we find ourselves in and I have attempted to capture it through extended vocal and instrumental techniques.

Dream Of Spring (2019)

Before the world shut down, I was able to write and hear my first chamber opera, written together with my librettist Helena McBurney.

After many years of marriage, Albert and Caroline have drfited apart, leaving their relationship on the rocks. Albert intends to leave his wife and is secretly building a boat in order to do so. However, his sister, Mary, catches him off guard and Albert is forced to explain himself.

Adrift (2020)

Meaning ‘Spring’ in Sanskrit, Vasanti displays the warmth and gradual growth associated with the season, together with the odd burst of vitality. The work is replete with personal references and also honours the influence which Olivier Messiaen’s music has had on me.

First performed by my friend, Samuel Huston, at the ‘New Music Series’ at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in November 2019.

Vasanti (2019)

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was commissioned by Graham Ross and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, to write an Introit.

This piece is dedicated all my fellow students, choirs and congregations as we continue to be tested in these difficult times.

"Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." Psalm 141

Lord, I cry unto thee (2021)

Dhyāna is a contemplative meditation inspired by the serene Raga Marwa, traditionally performed at sunset. In loving memory of my late grandmother, Suryakala Shantilal Shah, this composition serves as a musical homage, encapsulating the essence of her spirit and the profound impact she had on my life.

Structured into four sections that unfold through free improvisation, Dhyāna invites the listener to embark on a deeply introspective journey. The harpsichord assumes a pivotal role, providing a resonant and sustained drone that evokes the mesmerising tones of the sympathetic strings found on the sitar. Interwoven with the harpsichord's meditative drone, the violin emerges, occasionally interjecting with delicate melodies that explore the notes of raga. Gradually intensifying in texture and dynamics, Dhyāna builds to a hypnotic repetition that gradually fades into a distant echo, leaving behind a lingering sense of meditative reflection.

First performed by Fenella Humphreys and Mahan Esfahani at the Cheltenham Composer Academy 2022.

Dhyāna (2022)

A hymn written for the Choir of St Wilfrid's, Harrogate, which combines Gibbons's poignant motet 'Drop, drop slow tears' in antiphony.

Commissioned by Anthony Gray and the Choir of St Wilfrid’s Church, Harrogate for first performance with Ensemble Pro Victoria at the Advent Procession of the Harrogate Advent Festival, 2021.

Credit: Davidrosesound

A Great and Mighty Wonder (2021)

As human beings, we have become more distant and self-absorbed both during and after the pandemic. Our interaction with the world has drastically changed and we now live in constant anxiety and unease because, at any given moment, measures can be imposed which force us back into isolation.

Ennui represents how my perception of time as a process has transformed, but it also serves as an inner reflection of the fluctuations in my sanity and wellbeing during that period. Each instrumental part is a solo with its own character that represents a distinct facet of ennui, this unfathomable mental state.

This work was originally written in March 2021 for players of the BCMG and has since been adapted into a version for string trio which was recorded by members of the Piatti Quartet as part of the final of the Clements Prize 2021.

Juliana Koch oboe
Chi-Yu Mo clarinet
Joost Bosdijk bassoon

Recorded 31 March 2023 at St Luke's Church, London.

Ennui (2022)

British composer and writer of Indian heritage based in London.

Associate Composer @ LSO Soundhub 2022-24

www.vivekharia.com

Vivek Haria

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