This week has seen me writing the music for our latest upcoming DVD film release "Our Lady and the Visionaries of Knock". I delayed writing this over the end of the summer break because I knew it would be a large undertaking. Not only is the film 50 minutes in length, but it incorporates testimonies by several people recounting their experience at Knock. I knew that this film is packed with so much historical information and I admit that I was a little nervous about getting started.
Much of my music over the years has incorporated a Celtic feel. I really thought that being able to write completely freestyle in Irish music would be easy, like, unleashing what I keep contained, wanting to write Irish style music. Writing this score however has taught me that this is untrue. I do not write authentic styled music, I deliberately fuse instruments and styles so that my music is never predictable. Writing Old English music comes naturally because I love all the instruments like Lutes, Fidules, Recorders etc, but I never keep to a strictly authentic or restricted theme or realism, I use the old English sound as a starting point and go from there.
As my music tends towards a Celtic feel, I have been influenced by growing up with James Horner scored films, scores like Braveheart, Far and Away, I've always been fascinated by these lovely instruments from Scotland and Ireland. I was planning to go completely Irish with this. Right away however I found it really difficult. I thought about using the Irish style as a stepping point like I do with Old English and this seemed to work but the whole score was a bit of an uphill struggle I must admit.
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| Screenshot from "Braveheart" |
Today, Saturday, I have completed the long score and although it was hard, it's turned out great! I'm using my old "Saint Thomas Garnet and the Gunpowder Plot" music score as a template but have added in new instruments like bagpipes and Irish Flute. Using the Irish Flute also gave me the opportunity to use the pitch bend for a real authentic feel. I'm also using Heronica from Vocal Codex female voices for the first time too.
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| Vocal Codex |
This new film tells the entire account of the apparitions at Knock and made it clear to me for the first time who was there and what occurred. This film begins by putting the events of Knock in context with the history of Ireland, the Reformation and why the Eucharist is linked so importantly with these events. This film should be released over the next several days. For more information visit www.marysdowryproductions.org
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