Celestial Bells

Written as part of Kristina's PhD portfolio (King's College, London), 'Celestial Bells' is in part a cloudy reflection of previous stirring experiences of hearing church bells in Sofia Cathedral (Kiev, Ukraine); and in part a representation of the struggle between different levels of tension in music. It is not an attempt to re-create the sound of the bell accurately but merely a personal and deliberately discrete recreation of a sound weaved within a hidden ancillary narrative. The musical bell-like figures infiltrate the composition and can be most clearly heard in the short chorale sections. Throughout the composition 'broken' versions of the final trumpet melody try to come to the forefront resulting only in disjointed, chaotic thematic elements that push and pull until at the very end when the melody is finally heard over the same accompanying motifs as at the start. The delicate and intimate final trumpet solo is intended to be in stark contrast to the otherwise anxious tone of Celestial Bells, and is only hinted at by the small chorale-like glimpses of the metaphorical bells.

Score and parts available upon request. Please contact Kristina via the link below.