Sky of Clouds 彩云随想
Instrumentation: Mixed Chorus SATB
Duration: 8 minutes
Program Note:
I am always amazed and impressed by the variation of skies in Malaysia. Due to the equatorial climate, the skies in Malaysia are full of surprises, imaginations and mysteries. Their textures are unpredictable and make you wonder what’s there behind the clouds.
By using only vowels created by the choir, I attempt to seek for the variations of textures and simplicity to express my imagination of the voice in Sky of Clouds. This piece is divided into three sections:
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The piece started with a pentatonic-scale motive: C-G-A-E-D, where this motive crosses through different layers between the groups of singers. This motion is to imitate the flowing of the clouds that are never have the same shape all the time.
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After a small climax, the female choirs sing a new theme. As a bridge between the first and next section, the new theme kept the instability from the first section but at the same time, has a better direction of melody line.
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The main theme was originally of a Hokkien folksong – “Tian Hei Hei”. With the new arrangement, the melody becomes fresh and more expressive. By repeating the theme through a variety of musical textures, the piece gradually builds up to reach the final climax.
中文简介：
《彩云随想》的灵感来自于马来西亚的云彩。由于马来西亚位于赤道地带，这里的云朵显得格外地多姿多彩，其中还带有些神秘感。这部合唱作品并无歌词，主要通过声音的变化来表现作者心目中对云彩的一种想像。全曲主要分为三大段：1）作品开始主要由一个五声音阶构成的动机 (C-G-A-E-D)发展。这动机不停的穿梭于各声部之间，犹如云朵没有一个固定的形态在空中飘扬；2）推向一个小高潮后，作品由女声演唱一段新的旋律。这段旋律作为一个连接段落，除了有比较清楚的音乐的线条以外，仍然保留了前段的不稳定性，慢慢地画出一副完整的彩云图；3）最后一段的主题源自于家喻户晓的“天黑黑”。经过作者的重新改编，这旋律显得更简朴及富有情感地。主题通过各种不同的音乐织体来表现其多样性，更重要的是如何透过这个主题的反复来酝酿观众对其的期待感而推向全曲的高潮。