THE THOMAS HARDY ASSOCIATION
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DIRECTOR: ROBERT SCHWEIK
© 2001-2004

SEGR MUSIC

DESCRIPTION:

Address: http://www.segr-music.net
Contact: Roy Buckle (segr@segr-music.net)
Date: 01/01/04

SEGR Music is the personal site of Roy Buckle, who has makes the following comment:

"Reflecting my own experience of singing (mainly as a church and cathedral chorister) and as a pianist (though not quite, I hasten to add, of classical concert-giving calibre) the combination of vocalist and pianist remains my chief interest at present and is responsible for the burst of serious song writing that has occupied much of my time since retiring from a career in research and teaching in science at university. Some of these songs and piano works have been presented in concerts by fellow music students and also by professional performers."

1. "Profile of SEGR": Provides a brief statement of the purpose of the site.
2. "My Compositions": Includes eleven Hardy poems set to Dr. Buckle's music: "Once at Swanage," During Wind and Rain," "Neutral Tones," "Timing Her," "To Louisa in the Lane," "Heredity," "I Rose and Went to Rou'tor Town," "The Curtains Now Are Drawn," "Retty's Phases," "Beeny Cliff," "At Castle Boterel," "The Old Gown," and "Under the Waterfall." Each is accompained by an audio clip, by the reproduction of a picture intended to be evocative of the mood of the composition and its musical setting, and, also, by a commentary by Dr. Buckle. In addition, this section provides the text of a documented article titled "A Poem and Its Musical Interpretation" originally published in The Hardy Review 5 (Summer 2000), 73-84, but with the addition of explanatory appendices.
3. "My Transcriptions": Includes "For Hardy Lovers," which provides words and music by various authors and composers who have, or may have, some association with Hardy's life or work. They are "Bid Me Discourse" composed by Sir Henry Bishop to words adapted from Shakespeare' 'Venus and Adonis'; "When the Rosebud of Summer" composed by J. Stevenson to words by E.J.B. Fitzsimons; "How Oft Louisa" with words by R.B.Sheridan from his The Duenna to a traditional tune; "Pretty Mocking Bird" composed by Sir Henry Bishop to words by T. Morton; "Should He Upbraid" composed by Sir Henry Bishop to words by Shakespeare, "The Elfin Call," composed by Sir Henry Bishop to words by Shakespeare, and "The Elfin Call," composed by Stephen Glover to words by Mrs. Felicia Hemens. These, too, are accompanied by audio clips, by relevant pictures and by commentary by Dr. Buckle, who also provides a analytic note on which of Mozart's E-flat symphonies is related to Hardy's "Lines to a Movement of Mozart's E-flat Symphony."
4. "Some Favorites": Sound clips and commentary by Dr. Buckle on a variety of compositions. Its "Traditional and Early" section is intended to include Hardy-related song and dance music.
5. "Links": Links to two remote sites.
6. "Latest News": Announcements of recent additions to the site.

COMMENT:

The musical settings of Hardy poems in the "My Compositions" section are welcome additions to the considerable number of Hardy poems previously set to music by such composers as Finzi and Britten. They include a number of compositions for the female voice--a rarity in settings of Hardy's poems. The Hardy-related commentaries in both the "My Compositions" and "My Transcriptions" sections are not documented, but they are very well-informed, reliable, and judicious, as is the documented and expanded article titled "A Poem and Its Musical Interpretation."