Isle of Man Composer, Tim Price is the mastermind behind a new orchestral suite, 'Gem of God's Earth'. The piece, which takes its name from a line of the Manx anthem, is made up of nearly an hour of original music inspired by the wonderful and diverse range of natural features that make the Isle of Man such a special place. We caught up with Tim to chat more about the project.
Well, hello - I'm Tim Price. I was brought up in a musical family, and I started composing in my early teens (inspired by film music) by playing around with some notation software. Since then, I've studied music with some wonderful teachers here on the Island, and then at Bangor University, North Wales, graduating with a 1st class Bachelors degree and a Masters with distinction (specialising in music for film).
Q. What inspired 'Gem of God’s Earth'?
Gem of God's Earth is a 7 movement orchestral suite inspired by the diverse natural features of the Isle of Man. As a composer, I'm often inspired by images and places, so the huge variety in the Manx landscape provides lots of inspiration. I've released the piece as an album (CD and digital download), but as part of this release I also wanted to give it a virtual concert premiere. For that part of the project, I've collaborated with my sister, local photographer Rachel Price, to combine the music with our films and photos of the scenes that inspired me. The result is more like a cinematic tour of the Island than a normal concert.
Q. There are many people with a Manx connection living all over the world unable to visit the Isle of Man right now due to the pandemic. How do compositions such as this help maintain a sense of place and connection to the island for those living further afield?
Although music can't literally “describe” things, it does seem to have a wonderful ability to evoke images in our imaginations, and to bring back memories. Part of my hope with this is that as people listen to this music (especially if they watch the film as well), they'll feel like they're “visiting” these scenes, even if they can't physically visit them.
Q. Can you give us some examples of how you have communicated themes inspired by the Isle of Man’s natural landscapes into your composition?
The two things that have really stood out to me are the beauty and the contrasts of the landscape, so there's plenty of contrast in the harmonies, textures and instrumental sounds I've used. In the music for Dark Skies, I used lots of dark bass sounds (low strings, quiet timpani rolls, bass clarinet etc) with highlights from brighter instruments like harp, celesta, and vibraphone to create something very atmospheric. On the other hand, the music for the Chasms is much more loud and dramatic, and is based on a rather angular melody reflecting the shapes of the rocks. In one of my favourite sections (from movement 4 – The Curraghs), I've transcribed phrases of bird-songs and set them around the orchestra to represent the sounds of birds singing in the trees overhead.
Q. Was there anything that you found challenging about this project – if so how did you overcome these challenges?
When composing, it can sometimes be tricky to get the ideas out of my head and into a form that works musically. Having an idea is one thing, making it work well is another! The whole process involves a lot of sketching, writing, rewriting and chucking bits away to get to something that works well and feels “right”.
Q. What can we expect from the suite?
The piece is rather like a film score – think along the lines of John Williams, or Howard Shore's 'Lord of the Rings' soundtrack. The 7 movements take you on a musical tour lasting nearly an hour, looking at The Ayres, Ballaglass, Langness, The Curraghs, The Chasms, Dark Skies, and Cronk ny Arrey Laa. The online concert includes beautiful images (which really add so much to the overall experience), as well as some short insights into the music.
Q. What kind of feedback have you received about the project so far?
Feedback has been very positive so far. I have really supportive family and friends who have been helping to spread the word, and I've had some lovely comments back. At the time of writing this the concert film currently has just over 300 views, and I've even had comments back from people in America and Australia.
Q. What other projects have you been working on / What is next for you?
I have an A4 list of ideas I'd like to do, but which (if any) is next, I've no idea. :)
Q. Where is the best place to stay up to date with your work?
I try to keep things up-to-date on Facebook (facebook.com/TimPriceMusic), so any news is shared there. I also post music to Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/tim-price-music), so there is a whole range of tracks up there from previous projects.
The CD will be available from local shops including Rachel Price Photography in Ramsey, the Lexicon Bookshop in Douglas, and the Bridge Bookshops in Port Erin and Ramsey. The album will also be available to order or download through Bandcamp (visit tim-price-music.bandcamp.com).
