Requiem for the Arts (for Symphony Orchestra, Soloists, and Chorus) - Joshua Clayton

Описание: Full Text & Programme Note: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f...

It has never been harder to make a living as a creative. Budgets cut, subjects wiped off the curriculum, and a pandemic. They’ve all taken their toll. Conversations about just how hard this industry is to work and survive in are a regular occurrence, strong opinions are thrown around, the news is depressing as it reports struggle after struggle after struggle. And just where are the government in all of this? Arguably, they’re responsible for it all. Requiem for the Arts is a personal reflection on all of these struggles, reimagining the classic Requiem format using the words of those trying to survive in this industry, from those at the bottom of the pile to those who have influence and are trying to change an industry from the inside out, pushing against the current.

My intention for this work was to express the plight of the arts through the medium of music, for maximum emotional impact. A physical representation of the challenges facing the industry and an audible plea for help seemed to carry more gravitas than written statements, and so the concept for this work was born as an outlet for my grief and frustration regarding this industry.

Splitting each of the traditional Requiem movements into a loose theme, such as ‘hope’, ‘pleading’, or ‘people’, I firstly began researching potential text sources in the wide range of industry news relating to the state of the arts. Published across The Stage (covering music, theatre, opera, and dance), BBC News, Slipped Disc, and social media, there were a wide range of potential text sources to choose from, featuring interviews with many high-profile stakeholders across the industry. These are also taken from a questionnaire which I sent out in advance of this composition, gathering a variety of feedback and insight from those who do not typically have a voice within the industry.