THE SKY ENGINE
Richard Peat
Libretto by Timothy Knapman
(world premiere)
St Nicholas & Brookland Primary Schools (prepared by Rebecca Lodge Birkebaek)
Canterbury Boys Choir (David Newsholme, conductor)
London Mozart Players
Ruth Rogers · leader
Community Players
Rebecca Afonwy-Jones · mezzo-soprano
Julian Close · bass
Kudzanayi Chiwawa · narrator
Michael Bawtree · conductor
JAM on the Marsh Festival 2023
St Nicholas Church, New Romney
"The overarching philosophy behind the score of The Sky Engine is that all the musicians involved play a meaningful and integral part in bringing Timothy Knapman’s wonderful story to life. As a composer, it is such a privilege to write a piece specifically for our local musicians and primary school choirs, choristers from Canterbury Cathedral, Rebecca Afonwy-Jones, Julian Close, Kudzanayi Chiwawa, Michael Bawtree and the London Mozart Players.
The oratorio has a cast of colourful characters, with our singers and musicians called upon to bring the many different parts to life. As well as our heroine Flora (sung by a mezzo-soprano) and her father (sung by a bass), the primary school choirs become the chorus of animals while the Canterbury Cathedral choristers are called upon in one scene to portray the Bluebird of Happiness. During the interludes, our bass soloist steps out of character to be the voice of the earth, underpinning the ethereal chorale-like music sung by the choir.
At the heart of the story is the Sky Engine itself and much of the music has a machine-like quality based on propulsive percussion rhythms and motoring ostinatos. Throughout the score there are nods to a variety of different musical styles but the music is unified by key themes embedded in the piece. The hymn tune Picardy, traditionally sung to the words ‘Let all mortal flesh keep silent’ but here given new words by Timothy Knapman, is sung at crucial moments in the story - this is a melody with an apocalyptic quality perfectly suited to this story. The sky has its own leitmotif, a lyrical descending melody, which is mostly heard in a pure modal form sung by Flora but can also be heard in a more strident version as screamed by the saxophone in the Prologue. A Morse code rhythm sounds out a persistent warning, underpinning choruses and arias throughout the oratorio. Rather than having a traditional overture, instead the different themes come together in the Epilogue.
Throughout the piece, our local musicians play side-by-side with members of the London Mozart Players. The strings are often called upon to provide long sustained chords that comment on the drama but at other times become part of the machine music with rapid pizzicato motifs. The winds also contribute to the machine music with their own independent repeated patterns and also play a variety of different roles, at one point announcing the animals. The harp, piano, electric bass and two percussionists help propel the music forward and all the instrumentalists come together in the middle of the piece to evoke the mighty storm.
I so enjoyed writing this piece and hope the music draws you into the world of this modern fairytale."
- Richard Peat
www.jamconcert.org