Illumination

From the Renaissance to the twenty-first century illumination is something human beings have sought. It can herald the triumphant dawn of knowledge or ignite the fuse of imagination. Sian Thomas and Jamie Glover explore the theme of Illumination through poetry and prose from Arthur Rimbaud and Jo Shapcott to Margaret Atwood and Dylan Thomas with music by the likes of Thomas Ades, Arvo Pärt and Nick Cave.

I wanted to take an impressionistic approach to the subject beginning with dawn and the rising sun. As morning comes, the world awakens and we begin to contemplate the light of love and beauty. Benjamin Britten's Being Beauteous is itself a response to Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations - a collection which includes the poem that opens the programme: Dawn.

Light is commonly associated with religious knowledge and belief which we explore through traditional classical music such as John Rutter's Hymn to the Creator of Light and more popular gospel music from the 'original soul sister', Rosetta Tharpe. But with light comes a metaphorical darkness: death, decay and the horror of war are brought to light in the poems of Dylan Thomas and Tony Harrison.

I chose Arvo Pärt's Tabula Rasa to close the programme as to me it seems to represent the illumination of knowledge: the piece takes a phrase and repeats it throughout the movement, becoming more elaborate until it builds with a crescendo at the end.