Anaphora

This unaccompanied solo utilises hitherto untapped resources of the human voice. In achieving this, the central concern in this work was, in the words of the composer,” to maintain a sense of coherence that would carry through the procedure of kaleidoscopic change”. In addition, Edgerton refers to the “convention of repetition at phrase inception” employed by Shakespeare in Richard II.This not only comprises the constant variation of a single germinal idea (in this case the gamut of emotions expressed by John of Gaunt for the England he loved) but the dramatic effect of repetition itself. Silence between the repetitions functions as the space in which the sound lives.Thus, rather than segregating the repetitions, the pauses maintain a subtle and cohesive impetus throughout. The innate pathos of the work seems to derive from the archaic symbols that embody primal emotions that are integral to the piece.A high degree of intensity is generated, often where dynamics are quieter.The listener is compelled to look inward, to respond rather than to project, and to become aware of the multiplicity of events that occur within a single sound.
Paul Renan Zelezniak