Instrumentation: TTBar.B Chorus
Duration: 3 minutes
Year: 2022
Audio
Program Notes
Inspired by the portrait “See Me” by Linda Lowery, my composition “Do you see me?” (2022) is a musical expression of the hidden emotions that lie behind the brave public faces that we put out into the world. I chose the painting out of the nine possible options because it struck me as the most immediate and visceral work. The subject in her painting is front and center and there is a beautiful interplay between light and dark hues that seem to suggest a deeper inner world. Furthermore, the subject is captured in a neutral light and the sense of longing and vulnerability is masterfully captured in his eyes. I felt an immediate emotional connection with the artist which in turn inspired me to write the text and music for this piece.
In my composition, I turned the original title into a question – “Do you see me?”, and from this question, I began writing the text that begins to unpack what I imagine to be the subject’s thoughts and feelings. The piece is primarily harmonically driven and uses the rich palette of the men’s chorus to paint an aural picture of our protagonist.
Written for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington D.C.’s Portraits Project, 2024.
Score
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Roydon Tse 