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People Of The Dawn (1975) |
This work was written for the Matrix Ensemble and first performed by them, with Jane Manning as the soprano soloist, at the Roundhouse in September 1975. It was inspired by a radio programme called 'Dine' which was about the creation myths of the Navajo Indians of Arizona. The anthropologist and producer of the programme, Marinall Ash, kindly let me have access to the radio material (a collection of prose and chants, some of it collected by her on field trips to the Indian Reservation). After a period of sifting through various sources, I set about composing the piece. It is very much a gut reaction to what I heard and is not programmatic in any way. The musical shape evolved out of certain Navajo words which are very symbolic and simple but which evoked the ritualistic nature of the creation myths. The musical divisions of the piece correspond to changes in the layout of the ensemble, culminating in a long 'Air' for the soprano (who walks slowly of the platform) and soprano saxaphone. I directed the first perfomance at the North Western University, Illonois, USA.
© Simon Bainbridge