Resurrecting the Dream

About

‘Resurrecting the Dream’ began with a rhythm. It popped into my head one day in early 2016, and it wouldn’t go away. Only after composing the first few ideas of the piece, did I realise that the rhythm was remarkably similar to the alarm clock ringtone I had been using on my iPhone! I then put the first few ideas aside for more than a year, and didn’t complete the piece until June 2017. The original rhythmic idea made it to the final composition; it is first introduced in bars 5 and 6.

I composed ‘Resurrecting the Dream’ with the intention of creating a work that is both appealing to the average listener, and challenging and fulfilling for guitarists. Mixolydian melodies, syncopated rhythms, and triadic transformations are combined to result in a somewhat surreal atmosphere; but the steady pulse and constant stream of energy breathe life into it. From the guitarist’s perspective, a variety of textures and techniques are utilised, and the extensive coverage of the fingerboard helps to create a wide range of tone colours. The harmonics of the first four bars, and the many open-string chords of the second page demonstrate how the guitar’s natural resources have been employed to simultaneously ease the technical burden, and derive maximum resonance and volume from the instrument.