By Gavin Tomasco
Premiering at Candlelight this year is a fantastic new work by composer Gavin Tomasco. Setting the first verse of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Bells,” the text mirrors the emotional contrasts of the holiday season. While not intended as a Christmas poem (each verse speaks about a different kind of bells, ending with Poe’s typical spooky and foreboding flair), the first verse of “The Bells” is specifically about Christmas bells, highlighting the sounds, imagery, and emotional contours of the season: the sparkle of silver bells, the chill of winter air, and the themes of joy, time, and transcendence. Poe’s text is particularly fun to play with, including the word “tintinnabulation,” which gives Gavin a perfect opportunity to play with word painting and onomatopoeia.
To learn more about the work, listen to this interview with Gavin here.
By Gavin Tomasco
Premiering at Candlelight this year is a fantastic new work by composer Gavin Tomasco. Setting the first verse of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Bells,” the text mirrors the emotional contrasts of the holiday season. While not intended as a Christmas poem (each verse speaks about a different kind of bells, ending with Poe’s typical spooky and foreboding flair), the first verse of “The Bells” is specifically about Christmas bells, highlighting the sounds, imagery, and emotional contours of the season: the sparkle of silver bells, the chill of winter air, and the themes of joy, time, and transcendence. Poe’s text is particularly fun to play with, including the word “tintinnabulation,” which gives Gavin a perfect opportunity to play with word painting and onomatopoeia.
To learn more about the work, listen to this interview with Gavin here.
