Pastorale

Scott Perry

Inspired by:

Silk Riot Tapestry

Corinne Okada Takara

Pas-to-rale [pas-tuh-rahl, -ral, -rah-lee - noun

1. An opera, cantata, or the like, with a pastoral subject.

2. A piece of music suggestive of pastoral life.

Music Concept:

The music is in three parts. It opens with a calm Pastorale that uses a four-chord harmonic progression of electronic keyboard sounds coupled with a French accordian and an electronic sound emulating the human voice. The opening electronic sounds serve as a drone while the accordian plays a melody and uses harmonic 3rds as accompaniment. The music abruptly shifts into a chaotic state that alludes to sounds of a factory by using recorded sewing machine sounds as an undercurrent that adds to the chaos. The use of the gaohu, harmonium, and tablas refer to the importation of foreign silk. The processed voice and chaos combine to represent the violence, terror, and desperation of the Spitalfield Riots. The third and final section spins the thread of the music to be elegant and pleasant. It uses only guitar. The music again refers to a Pastorale, but it more significantly emphasizes how we sometimes take beauty for granted, much like silk itself. Silk is pretty, smooth, and elegant on the surface. But, sometimes there are ugly processes behind beautiful creations that we so often overlook and ignore.