The Hymn of the Pearl

The Hymn of the Pearl (2011) for five instruments and electronics.Commissioned by Sond'Ar-te Electric Ensemble.The piece is inspired by a hymn found in the Christian Gnostic text of The Acts of Thomas the Apostle. It tells the story of “a son of the King of kings" who is sent to Egypt to retrieve a pearl guarded by a terrible serpent. During the quest, he is seduced by Egyptians and forgets his origin. However, a letter is sent from His Father to remind him of his past. By the end, the boy succeeded to enchant the serpent into deep sleep, seized the pearl and went back to his kingdom as a hero. It is an allegorical message of the journey of a soul from a pre-mortal home, through mortality, and back to heavenly origin. In the piece, the bass flute plays a very important role as the enchanter. The electronic part is consisted of some transformed multiphonic singings. The piece as a whole aims to implore the sound colours of each instruments and their various combinations.