David Rain/William Blake: "The Tyger"
"The Tyger" is dedicated to my daughter Salima, who asked me if I might try setting this remarkable William Blake poem to music, a daunting thought, to say the least. But I took on the challenge and here is the result. I have created a chromatic melody that twists and turns, echoing the twisted sinews of the Tyger’s heart in Blake’s poem. The penultimate verse includes a dissonant mini-fugue and the song ends on a final, terrifying, triple forte tritone: “Tyger!” NB: four years after writing "The Tyger", I created a choral version of Blake's "The Lamb" as a companion piece (and a kind of response) to "The Tyger." https://youtu.be/bfU42G3i2y8 A question for listeners. If the two songs were to be sung in sequence in a concert, what order works best for you: (a) to sing "The Lamb" first, and thus end up on a terrifying note with "The Tyger"; or (b) to sing "The Tyger" first and end more softly with "The Lamb?" NB: for song info, or sheet music (SATB), visit: https://davidrainchoralcomposer.ca/songs/the-tyger-william-blake/. Sincere thanks to Matthew Curtis (choraltracks.com) for recording "The Tyger." I would like to acknowledge the a cappella choir that I sang in for 28 years, The Stairwell Carollers, and director Pierre Massie, for their musical inspiration. And with deepest appreciation to my brother Adam Rain and my friend Geneviève Lajoie for their invaluable support throughout my composing journey.
