The Ty Pawb preview last night was enjoyable. The only people we spoke to were, by chance and fate, the same couple we spoke to 4 years ago at the last Open I entered there. I feel that they are our sort of creative people. Writer Peter Read kindly offered to mention and/or connect us and our Salome performance with the person who handles events at Ty Pawb.
The art was good, notably better in quality than the Stockport or Grosvenor/Chester Open exhibitions. There is a definite gulf between England and Wales regarding art and culture; England has so little and is becoming an artless, uncultured, almost barbarous state, far less than America or any European country I can think of. Only in literature and poetry does England fare well, and one could argue that is due to the fortunate complexity of the language, everyone must, at least, speak. It still amazes me that the BBC have almost no arts programmes on television (the radio is far better, the BBC excel here). On television there is no contemporary music programme. The closest to a contemporary culture programme I can think of is technology programme BBC Click. Their slogan of the Educate, Entertain and Inform has given way to Entertain, Entertain, and provide news which we must hope is accurate.
As expected I had yet more changes to make to the video today, but these are now complete.
I've spent today working on a song, I have so many that I dived in, but many seem very simplistic and 'easy' now. I started with a tune called 'I'm Tired, Want To Sleep', which is simply those words repeated to the same melody forever which gradually recedes into choirs, a lullaby for sure. So I played this, but it's too boring and simple for me. Perhaps I'll spoil the restful mood if I make it too complex, perhaps this is a natural minimalist composition, and perhaps I should leave it this simple way for the sake of variety. Part of me wants to ditch it completely, and another part thinks that even the partial fragments are good and that I'd be sad if this song, which I keep finding myself humming, were unheard and never made.
Well I recorded the central guitar part, this alone is good training as I hardly ever strum a guitar.
Then I decided to add a break and new chorus which changes from the simple C-Major/G-Major drone into a dramatic chorus, an A-minor descent rather like that in Refuge from Synaesthesia. Then we return to the main melody. Is this good enough? Is this better than the original? Choices choices. My words now:
I'm tired, want to sleep
I'm tired, want to sleep
I'm tired, want to sleep
I'm tired, of it all
Don't sleep, little baby
The moon isn't high
Stay with me, in the starlight
Don't say goodbye
The dreams call my name
I walk to the lake
My soul is theirs to take
I'll see you when I wake
What is best? The strongest emotion is best. The strongest imagery is best. The greatest showcase of skill is best. What if the strongest emotion is that which is simple?
