Composer Jenny McLeod says the idea for The Poet, a song cycle celebrating the poetry of Janet Frame, came about like most pieces "more or less from a seemingly arbitrary concatenation of circumstances."

When Tower Voices and NZ String Quartet requested a piece McLeod had already been re-reading Janet Frame's poetry and writing a song cycle for her old friend Keith Lewis, the international kiwi tenor. She still had some unused poems, chosen by 'a combination of instinct and a conscious weaving together of common (poetic) themes', so suggested it to Tower Voices who loved the idea.

McLeod is glad she waited before attempting to set Frame's poetry, as earlier on she could not have fully appreciated her. She was drawn to it by " a deep sympathy with what she says, with her voice, with who she is; her essential kiwi-ness; her directness, sharpness, clarity. Her concern. The 'size' of her work, somehow. Her big range - of voices, emotions, understanding, intuition.Composer Jenny McLeod says the idea for The Poet, a song cycle celebrating the poetry of Janet Frame, came about like most pieces "more or less from a seemingly arbitrary concatenation of circumstances."

When Tower Voices and NZ String Quartet requested a piece McLeod had already been re-reading Janet Frame's poetry and writing a song cycle for her old friend Keith Lewis, the international kiwi tenor. She still had some unused poems, chosen by 'a combination of instinct and a conscious weaving together of common (poetic) themes', so suggested it to Tower Voices who loved the idea.

McLeod is glad she waited before attempting to set Frame's poetry, as earlier on she could not have fully appreciated her. She was drawn to it by " a deep sympathy with what she says, with her voice, with who she is; her essential kiwi-ness; her directness, sharpness, clarity. Her concern. The 'size' of her work, somehow. Her big range - of voices, emotions, understanding, intuition.During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?
I work best after a good sleep (in which my subconscious mind has hopefully found some better solutions to yesterday's problems) - in the early mornings, and generally mornings through to about 1 pm. The question of 'inspiration' is unpredictable, this cannot be willed, and it's fruitless to seek it in one's own work - also, what comes on occasion when I may imagine I feel somewhat inspired does not always turn out in the long run to be so very inspired at all, and can require quite a lot more work.

How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?
Eclectic, probably. I try to use whatever means to my mind will best suit the particular endeavour.

What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?
Probably when a good performance of a new piece satisfies the musicians and audience and at the same time confirms that my initial instincts and imagination were pretty much on track ie. when a new piece really works.

How does your environment affect your work?
I live in a small west coast village on a hill overlooking the sea, with a rather wild terraced back garden, birds, native trees, ferns. Every (fine) weekday morning I walk with neighbours for an hour along the beach and round the coast into a wilderness area. This environment has thoroughly nourished me for the last 28 years - to me it is endlessly cleansing, somehow. I find it has affected my work in sometimes unexpected ways of which I was not necessarily very conscious at the time - sounds from my everyday environment can sort of make their way into my music (eg. esp. natural sounds and kinds of movement, as with water, wind in leaves, bird sounds - though not so much in 'The Poet').

Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?
At different stages of the creative process it's necessary to do both - the big picture comes more at the start when you're shaping the overall idea, or aim and intention. Then when actually composing the piece I tend to move from larger shapes into the details, which come later. Finally, every single detail, note, dynamic, articulation, registration, tone-colour, etc requires a conscious decision first, in order for it to be written down accurately.

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in
the creative industries?
Believe in yourself and never give up.

Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?
Impossible to answer this really - any project that might be currently in rehearsal for its first performance is always hugely satisfying because one is so fully caught up 'in the moment'. But large enterprises in which everyone seems to catch on and work together towards the same end are very satisfying, perhaps also in retrospect as an image of how human beings are in fact very capable of living and working together productively and creatively.

How did the idea for The Poet come about?
Like most ideas for pieces, more or less from a seemingly arbitrary concatenation of circumstances. When the request for a piece came from Tower Voices and the NZ String Quartet, I had already been reading and re-reading Frame's poetry at the request of my old friend Keith Lewis, the international kiwi tenor, who wanted me to write him a song cycle to some of these poems. He and I had already agreed upon the particular poems we would use, but this had left me with a bunch of other unused Frame poems I felt would also suit a musical setting. So I immediately suggested this to Tower Voices and they loved the idea.

What draws you to Janet Frame's poetry?
A deep sympathy with what she says, with her voice, with who she is; her essential kiwi-ness; her directness, sharpness, clarity. Her concern. The 'size' of her work, somehow. Her big range - of voices, emotions, understanding, intuition.
I'm glad I waited before attempting to set her poetry, earlier on I could not have fully appreciated her.

How does the poetry of Janet Frame translate into music?
In my own work, largely through its rhythms, inflexions, grammar (deep rhythmic structure, keywords), tone of voice, imagery and meaning, or ambience of meanings. I try to remain very true to all this.

Of course, some poems are more suited to music than others - though I don't in the least draw the line at bathplugs and other domestic imagery, in fact I find this comes very close to home.

How did you choose the poems?
By a combination of instinct and a conscious weaving together of common (poetic) themes (by contrast there is no conscious weaving of 'musical themes' between the poems).

How was it received at the NZ International Arts Festival?
I felt it was received very well, very warmly, and with much enthusiasm, first by the musicians themselves, and by the audience in general, also by composer colleagues and friends. But Frame had made a few pointed remarks about critics in the last poem, so I gather one or two critics were perhaps a teeny bit wounded.

In what ways does your spirituality affect the work, especially during the creative process?
I can't really distinguish between the two - the whole creative process is itself spirituality in action, in the most personal and individual way imaginable. My spirituality, which is who I am, makes the work, it does not merely 'affect' it.

Who or what has inspired you recently?
Hmmm. Sea and sky. Rocks, cliffs. Two tuis in the pear tree. Walking in native forest. Schoenberg's 'Erwartung'(how did I miss that before?) Shane Cotton's paintings. Inspiration can be found in all sorts of unexpected places. But never captured.

If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?
(Why do I have to go back? I wouldn't have missed THIS life for anything in the world.)
But at first I wanted to be an architect. More recently I decided that given another life I would either be an activist (and very unhappy because constantly thwarted) or else I would spend my life looking after dogs (and be blissfully happy as I love dogs).

What place is always with you, wherever you go?
So far, planet Earth I guess. But I do love my native land, am always happy to rejoin my Maori whanau (wherever we may be), and also am always happy to walk alone in the door of my old Pukerua Bay bach, my home.

What's the best way to listen to music, and why?
With an open heart - otherwise how can you possibly enjoy it.

You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?
Haste, probably - to give them to someone else. Or a tent? a flag? a fishing-net? - I dunno, who cares?

What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?
Forget it.

What's great about today?
I'm alive!

What's your big idea for 2008?
No more big ideas - just good ones.

Image credit: Michael Norris

The Poet
Tower Voices New Zealand and New Zealand String Quartet
Saturday 17 May, 3pm
The Crater Room, Great Lake Centre
Bookings at Ticketek

A musical celebration of Janet Frame at ERUPT (+tickets)

06/05/08