Transience

In This Garden

Spider draws in finest line,

Always radial his design,

Delicate against the skies,

Jewelled by dew, darked by flies.

Does spider set himself apart

As one supported by his art?

 Linking branches, linking trees,

Quite still amidst his masterpiece,

He sits and waits, so patiently

For someone passing by to see his art;

But then his work is often brought

By passers by again to nought.

Words by David Cox, set to music by Betty Beath 1973

These words come from the song cycle In This Garden by BettyBeath. The poetry (by her husband David Cox) is set to a rippling piano accompaniment with a lyrical, questioning soprano line. It is interesting to observe that this artistic couple, at the height of their careers, were questioning their calling and its impermanence.

The transient nature of music has been a challenge to the documentation of music history. Artists leave paintings to admire, writers leave books as a tangible legacy of their efforts, composers have only a score which needs to be performed in order to live. It is so much harder to leave a footprint.

Hooray for youtube!!!

Here is Betty on piano performing In This Garden with soprano Susan Lorette Dunn.  David has done the illustrations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaZ0LYgRp4A

This piece will be performed LIVE by the composer in Perth at the launch of Women of Note

5pm Sat 25^th Feb Dolphin Theatre UWA.