Description

Jamie and I were unable to select one photograph for the piece ‘Fireworks’ so we ran a poll on Twitter with people voting for their favourite of four photographs. The winning picture reminds me of a galaxy, bursting with colour and light, and inspired me to explore the inner workings of the piano to represent the ‘whoosh’ and spectacle of a firework display. I have attempted to represent Rockets and Pot à Feus by stroking and hitting the strings. The swirling of a Catherine Wheel is symbolised by the use of the ‘magical’ whole tone scale used to great effect by Debussy. I also used the wooden bar above the keys to set up a loud, reverberant rhythm, creating an effect that resembles the cacophony of many fireworks going off at once.

Smell, sight, sound as retinas reflect whirling lights. A pause for thought as sodium, barium and strontium etch rainbow bursts on a deep black canvas sky. A midnight feast; snap, crackle and pop.