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Symphony Op 5 No 1
"PEAK XV"
A brief Introduction
I have recently started to write in middle 2020, and plan to finish by 2021, my first production based Symphony named "Peak XV" the final, and last ascent of Mount Everest.
By chance i met a Psychic in early 2020, and we have been collaborating and working together through the construction of this work.
Peak XV is a ginormous musical creation, remembrance, and standing freedom for Sandy Irvine & George Leigh Mallory, which attempted the very first mount everest expedition in 1924, and lost their life's never returning back down.
There has always been detailed speculations, and un-answered questions wether Mallory & Irvine did reach the final summit of everest. I believe Mallory did through his strength and will power, and Mallory lost Irvine somewhere near the final ascent.
From them last being seen only (245m) away from the final peak (peak.xv) this made me ask, why has no-one ever written music to this? And some 100 years later i still dearly want to keep this thunderous exciting moment in history here in our place,
and in our modern times once again.
So i set myself that challenge of writing this vast work.
And i do truly believe the heavens journey that Mallory And Irvine did should never be forgotten.
- Zander Armstrong
COMPOSITION
SYMPHONY OP 5 NO 1 "PEAK XV" - In 4 movements is a large work, arranged as a choral symphony with soloists, and 2 mixed ensembles which are of Jazz, & Tibetan origins, the ensembles are a complete disjunction to the traditional classical form from the choir and orchestra, and they are also conjured with the orchestra and choir mixing all these styles together as one to create a formed work that all coherently matches, works and constructs as one clear mixed symphonic work.
The musical styles of this symphony ranges a great deal, at the start we hear the main theme (from the string section) the call of the great mountain, It's boldness as one may see everest at it's distance at great height, the frightening and divine sharpening superior body reaching further than the mist of the clouds,
and through the golden gate of heaven & above.
We also imagine the news when George Mallory first set off with his expedition team for the first time, leaving his wife ruth, his family, all his friends, and trying once more for his 3rd and final attempt taking on the mistress mountain. I also felt to address the adrenaline and excitement at the time in 1924 Britain, the newspapers, the conversations and the will power from people which knew both Mallory & Irvine will succeed with victory and make it to the the very top of everest and return back home. These kind of thoughts to imagine heavily inspired me to form together the first part of the symphony, which i see as the main core.
What the main theme also addresses is Mallory & Irvine's first sight of everest,
the excitement in the air from the cultural times of 1924, thinking about the music of the times they we're living in, Styles of leading British composers in those times such as Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst, & many more.
3 pieces of music in particular that set my creative mind going, and heavily inspired me we're Vaughan Williams 7th Symphony named "Sinfonia antartica", Benjamin Britten's '4 sea interludes", from peter grimes, & Symphony No 50 Op 360 "mount saint helens" by Alan Hovhannes.
Following after this, and still in the 1st Movement more instruments are now being introduced and spoken by the symphony, with more movement, and speed.
I had some creativity on how it would sound from the expedition team hiking on foot through the freezing ice, snow blizzards, and miles of tiring hiking reaching each mountain peak until they finally arrived. This feeling of working, and searching on foot for each mountain peak is prominent continuously.
And now comes in the thunderous call of the mountain, an on-going harp solo, with the slow burning french horns and strings. Further on the Timpani's and crash symbols concealing a great force of excitement and power now arrive, and riding over comes in the Trombones thrashing like horses at war, and finally a trumpet solo appears, when one might hear this, one may imagine a glorious sight of everest in all it's glory, just as it is. Over all of this after the short finale of representing the mountain, we now go into styles of jazz, fast trumpet solo's, great sense of rhythms from the drums and other instruments from the jazz ensemble.
Moving more paced and freely traditional tibetan music now starts to happen,
bringing in anxious paced rhythms from the marimbas, celeste, and percussion section.
Moving more religiously and eternal now, the tibetan ensemble contrasts over with the orchestra, this contrast i feel fits into capturing the purity and symbolism of traditional tibetan music. The climbers feelings are bewildered by their experienced so far, visiting Rongbuk Monastery, passing by tibetan climbers, hearing prayers, listening to tibetan musicians.
The tibetan horns which i use in the ensemble also called "dungchen" we're of said to be the sound of the mountain. - It is a long, deep, whirring, haunting wail that takes you out somewhere beyond the highest Himalayan peaks and at the same time back into your mother's womb -
Lastly we attend back to the Classical form once more with the orchestra & Choir, Ending on this 1st Movement with a selected poem for soloists singers and full chorus.
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STYLE
Here are some short music extracts from PEAK XV
in these i used old 1920's silent films to capture the times to which George Mallory & Sandy Irvine we're living through.
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