Far Reaching Dreams of Mortal Souls

Whilst driving along the M5 late one winter evening, from BBC radio 4 came the words;

‘…..I raise up my voice, not so that I can speak, but so those without a voice can be heard…..’

It was the voice of Malala Yousafzai during her United Nations address. I was incredibly moved by these words and inspired to forge a project that pays tribute to some of the people who I regard as remarkable, and feel have made a real and significant contribution (and in some cases enormous personal sacrifice) to humanity in the name of their beliefs and dreams.

‘Far Reaching Dreams of Immortal Souls’ was first commissioned by the Jerwood Foundation fellowship scheme in 2013, composed for choir and chamber ensemble of improvisers and contemporary classical musicians. The work was premiered at Birmingham’s CBSO centre in October 2014 and received significant critical acclaim. Nine new pieces were composed for the unique mixed discipline ensemble configuration. The work is based around text extracted from speeches, letters and associated writings of nine remarkable people. The project themes span from slavery to violence and groundbreaking scientific contributions hinged around a constantly questioned religious thread.

People and text;

‘Het Achterhuis’ – the last entry in Anne Frank’s diary (Dutch) trans;

‘And finally I twist my heart round again, so that the bad is on the outside and the good is on the inside, and keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would so like to be, and could be, if there weren’t any other people living in the world.’

‘I raise up my voice’ – and extract from Malala Yousafzai’s speech at the United Nations – 12th July 2013.

‘…..So here I stand, one girl among many. I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.’

‘La Purcelle d’Orleans’ – an extract from the forced abjuration of St. Joan of Arc. (French) trans.;

‘……. all those who have erred and been at fault in the christian faith and have by god’s grace returned to the light of truth and unity of our holy mother church, should vigilantly prevent the enemy of hell from driving them back and causing their relapse into error and damnation.’

‘Rolihlahla’ – an extract from an interview with Nelson Mandela in which he talks about the ANC’s use of violence during the struggle for liberation.

‘….There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile to continue talking about peace and non-violence against a government whose only reply is savage attacks on an unarmed and defenceless people….’

‘I think’ – Charles Darwin. In a letter to a correspondent at the University of Utrecht in 1873, Darwin expressed agnosticism:

‘I may say that the impossibility of conceiving that this grand and wondrous universe, with our conscious selves, arose through chance, seems to me the chief argument for the existence of God; but whether this is an argument of real value, I have never been able to decide. I am aware that if we admit a first cause, the mind still craves to know whence it came from and how it arose. Nor can I overlook the difficulty from the immense amount of suffering through the world. I am, also, induced to defer to a certain extent to the judgment of many able men who have fully believed in God; but here again I see how poor an argument this is. The safest conclusion seems to me to be that the whole subject is beyond the scope of man’s intellect; but man can do his duty.’

‘Splinters of glass’ – Aung San Suu Kyi – Burma’s National League for Democracy chairperson. An extract from her ‘freedom from fear’ speech.

‘…The people of Burma had wearied of a precarious state of passive apprehension where they were ‘as water in the cupped hands’ of the powers that be.
Emerald cool we may be, as water in cupped hands, but oh that we might be as splinters of glass in cupped hands.
Glass splinters, the smallest with its sharp, glinting power to defend itself against hands that try to crush, could be seen as a vivid symbol of the spark of courage that is an essential attribute of those who would free themselves from the grip of oppression…’

‘Cosa Divina’ – an extract from Leonardo Da Vinici’s note book (Italian) trans.;

‘Oh man, who will discern in this work of mine the wonders of nature?

If you think it would be criminal to destroy it, reflect how much more criminal it is to take the life of a man, and if so, it’s external form, like you beautifully constructed, remember that it is nothing compared to the soul that dwells in that structure, that in fact, whatever it is, is a divine thing.’

‘Unlawfully Held’ – an extract from Benjamin Franklin’s petition to abolish slavery.

‘Signed by Benjamin Franklin, President of the Pennsylvania Society, February 3, 1790

To the Senate & House of Representatives of the United States,

The Memorial of the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the Abolition of Slavery, the relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in bondage, & the Improvement of the Condition of the African Races.

Respectfully Sheweth,

That from a regard for the happiness of Mankind an Association was formed several years since in this State by a number of her Citizens of various religious denominations for promoting the Abolition of Slavery & for the relief of those unlawfully held in bondage………’

‘Heliocentricism’ – Galileo Galilie’s recantation. (Italian) trans.;

‘I, Galileo, in judgment, and kneeling before you

having before my eyes the most holy Gospels, which I touch with my own hands, I swear that I have always believed, I believe now, and with God’s help I will believe in the future, all that is held, preached and taught by the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I had to let the false opinion that the Sun is the centre of the world and it does not move, and that the Earth is not the centre of the world and moves, and that I must not hold, defend, nor teach in any way, either in voice or in writing, the said false doctrine, and of myself after notification that the said doctrine was contrary to Holy Scripture..’

The uniqueness of this project lies in its inherent dualistic nature. The interdisciplinary conjoining of contemporary classical instrumentalists and singers alongside improvisers from predominantly jazz background. Successful collaborations between these two divergent musical camps are rare, but in the case of ‘Far Reaching Dreams …’ the weight and depth of the selected texts plus the sonic and emotional accessibility of the human voice bind the diverse elements of this project together well.

Quotes from criticism following the premiere:

‘…Taking his texts from the diary of Anne Frank, interviews with Nelson Mandela and Charles Darwin, speeches from Aung San Suu Kyi and Malala Yousafzai, and suchlike sources, and then turning them into coherent vocal music was going to be a challenge for trumpeter Percy Pursglove, but these texts were the inspiration and the heart of this jazz suite…’

‘…Somehow Percy Pursglove created a completely whole musical world all of his own. That is a rare achievement…’

Jazzwise

‘…Percy gave us was a nearly continuous hour and a quarter-plus of some of the most ambitious, thoughtful, complex, risky, beautiful and thoroughly uplifting music I’ve heard in this building. I didn’t just go home smiling; I went home head buzzing, heart full and thrilled to have been a witness to this premiere performance…’

‘…Percy doing an extraordinary circular-breathing sound full of breath and bubbles and white noise underneath a massed vocal line: the result was uncomfortable, creepy, dangerous and very effective; the whole group making a rainstorm of finger clicks and claps; the swell of voices in the final GallileoGalilei section…’

‘…at no time in the hour and a quarter that I spent spellbound on the edge of my seat did the thought “that reminds me of” go through me head…’

The Jazz Breakfast

‘The music was played entirely acoustically and I was immediately impressed by the way in which Pursgloveblended the voices and instruments together. Although drawing extensively on classical sources this was still music that was recognisably jazz despite the presence of essentially non jazz instruments such as harp and oboe.’

‘[…] a stunning solo trumpet introduction to Movement Five, the combination of circular breathing, overblowing and breathy, bubbling vocalisations sounding like the work of more than one musician.’

‘A triumph for Pursglove. It must have delighted him to see this richly colourful, complex and ambitious music being so ecstatically received […]’

The Jazzmann

Original Programme notes – `Far Reaching Dreams of Mortal Souls’

`Far Reaching Dreams of Immortal Souls’ is a project that has been in the back of my mind for a few years now. I had some wonderful experiences singing in choirs (Tenor … very badly!) at an early age. The sound and purity of massed voices has always drawn my ear. I wanted to find a way to access that broad spectrum of possible textures that Gabriel Faure had introduced me too all those years ago, but within a chamber ensemble setting that has the scope to offer another layer of unforeseen spontaneity.

The text draws from writings, speeches, interviews and documentation by and about nine individuals of historical significance.

Annelies Marie Frank; This is an extract of text taken from the last entry in her diary.

Nelson Mandela – Extract from an Interview in 1961 in which he’s discussing violence and the African National Congress.

Aung san suu kyi – Chairperson for the nation League for Democracy Burma – An extract form her ‘Freedom of power’ speech 1990.

Malala Yousafzai – United Nations speech July 12th, 2013

Charles Darwin – In an extract from an interview, Darwin discusses his religious beliefs against his scientific findings.

Leonardo da Vinci – A quote in which he muses about man’s destruction of nature, the human form and the divine soul which dwells within.

Galileo Galilei – Recantation 22nd June 1633 (abridged). Galileo is forced to retract his belief that the earth orbits the sun, and is not actually the centre of the universe.

Benjamin Franklin – (Extract) Petition from the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery

Signed by Benjamin Franklin, President of the Pennsylvania Society, February 3, 1790

To the Senate & House of Representatives of the United States,

The Memorial of the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the Abolition of Slavery, the relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in bondage, & the Improvement of the Condition of the African Races.

Joan of Arc – Abjuration (Extract). On May 24th 1431, Jeanne d’Arc was taken to a scaffold set up in the cemetery next to Saint-Ouen Church, and told that she would be burned immediately unless she signed a document renouncing her visions and agreeing to stop wearing soldiers’ clothing.