from the dungeon of despair

[adelaidesean]

The wonderful Fryer Library at the University of Queensland is about to relieve me of another pile of archival material. It's not as big a stash as last time, but it contains some real gems, including the box of embarrassing memorabilia that I found last year (remember the D&D poetry?) and all my old campaign notes, because they had a strong bearing on the kind of stories I went on to write. Such is the rationale, anyway, behind such things.

One element from my past that hasn't previously appeared in the archive is the music I wrote at high school. This material has accrued some value (apparently) and I have decided to let it go.

Going through those mounds of ancient staves, I was surprised most by (1) how damned much there was of it and (2) how hilariously bad the titles were.

(Oh, and (3) the way every assessment I received said something along the lines of "Well, we know that what you've done is technically correct so we have to give you an A, but boy, you are really pushing the boundaries." My younger self was a dreadful show-off (nothing's changed there) and loved rubbing authority figures up the wrong way, musically. Kinda like Flashdance, only nowhere near as cool.)

Anyway, in honour of all that effort, soon to vanish into a vault somewhere, I'll be adding a title to the end of each post over the next month or so. I'll spare you the stock standard Ave Marias, Ave Verums, Kyries, Agnus Deis, Requiescat in Paces, Opuses and so on, and stick to the strange, the surreal, and the wannabe-clever. I'll link to recordings, where they're available.

To kick things off, I give you "The Get of a Gargoyle Pig", which retitled (at my teacher's insistence) "Release of Anger" went on to win the Young Composer's Award in 1984. This was a theme and three variations for string quartet with solo parts by trumpet, oboe and flute. It was performed only once, and recorded by the ABC, but I've never managed to hear it. Probably for the best!

PS. The title of this post is a reference to Frank Zappa's "The Torture Never Stops". I was a big FZ fan as a young 'un (and so I remain). He's probably to blame for some of the stranger titles.

Comments

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

Hmm. "The Get of a Gargoyle Pig". Sounds like a fantasy short story we need to find an excuse to get you to write :)

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

That and "The Sound of the Ancestral Ship". :-)

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a lost Cordwainer Smith story.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

It does, doesn't? I am constantly excited that the other Sean Williams (http://ladnews.livejournal.com/14701.html) doesn't just work in music herself, but also comes up with some excellent books of her own.

[satimaflavell.livejournal.com]

How nice that they're going to store your old mss, Sean. In his own lifetime, a muso hath no honour, and all that, but your descendants might be able to bask in your reflected glory:-)

I hope you are able to link to recording for some of those early works. It would be great to hear them! When I was 15, a fellow student at the Sydney Con High wrote me a piano piece, called Moonlight, IIRR. Trouble is, it was absolutely unplayable, so I never did figure out how it was supposed to sound:-)Of course, the lad took up composition and became a musical academic.

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

I have the pieces recorded for my matric submission, so those will be trotted out at some point.

A lot of my early works were unplayable too, but none of them were written to impress girls. How romantic!

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

And yes, I am flattered that they're interested in storing all this stuff! Maybe they'll release a CD when I'm dead. :-)

[satimaflavell.livejournal.com]

Heh heh - I'm not so sure about the romantic part, Sean. I've been wondering ever since if it was meant as a joke:-)

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

I pity the poor archivist who has to deal with this stuff.

Do you have an embargo date on your archives? Or can we shift through your darkest secrets now?

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

The first batch is exposed for all to see. The second batch will be processed next year. I, like you and Mr T, pity every poor fool who chooses to wade through it all. :-)