THE MADRIGAL
CHOIR OF BINGHAMTON

Interview with composer Barry Seaman
bio for Barry Seaman

Q: What was your inspiration for Bhajans?

The holy Bhagavad Gita, Nimisha, and the idea of pure devotional music.

Q: What can you tell us about the Bhagavad Gita? How did it inspire you?

The Gita is an ancient Hindu religious text, part of the epic poem Mahabharata. It consists of a conversation between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Arjuna has his doubts about a battle he has to fight. A cause of the battle is the attempted humiliation of Draupadi, whose dignity is nevertheless preserved by Krishna when he comes to protect her. He reassures Arjuna and drives his chariot. Their conversation is a means to explain many aspects of devotion, and parts of it form the text of The Consoling Song. It is my favourite of all books and a constant companion. As well as its wisdom, it contains beautiful Sanskrit poetry which makes an ideal and natural means of expression for me. In my life I have found that the ancient words of the Gita have great relevance.

Q: What made you believe Bhajans would be a good composition for The Madrigal Choir of Binghamton to premier?

 I found after listening to a CD of the choir that they were particularly good at warm, dark and rich blends, and the contemplative nature of the work requires musicians who can make the most of each note.

Q: Is it difficult to work with a lyricist as you're crafting the song itself? What is your process?

The journey with Nimisha and later with Lizzie prompted a different approach from the usual one of setting a complete text after it has been written. We had many meetings and traveled to a Hindu temple and a medieval priory for inspiration. Within an overall plan, the structural components evolved simultaneously with the text. Nimisha and Lizzie would write a section of the text, and each time they heard the setting as it developed, they were able to find the right emotional and spiritual place for the next part of the text.

Q: You mentioned visiting a Hindu temple and a medieval priory for inspiration. What did those visits inspire with regards to the music?

In general terms there is no attempt to express some feature of these places in the music; but their intense devotional nature equates directly to the Bhajans. Sometimes individual experiences related to these places find their way into the work; for example the inclusion of a vibraphone because bell sounds are prominent in music played at the Temple. I often call the Temple "the smiling building", and the harmony of the Bhajans has that warmth in it. As the Gita is my favourite book, the Temple is my favourite place.

Q: How do your pieces evolve for you? Do you work in spurts or does the work come steadily?

I begin with an architectural idea, which sometimes needs to develop during the creation of the music. Ideas come and are stored in my mind until I am ready to work. 

Q: Do you ever sway from your original conception of a piece? Have you had to, regretfully perhaps, leave an idea or two to pursue something you believed would make your music richer in the end?

I often tell my composition students that the discipline is necessary sometimes to exclude music because it does not fit the structure. I have cut several passages from the Bhajans to make it more balanced. In that way, it is no different from other art forms.  Although I will often change structural details in the early stages, the overall conception never changes during creation of the piece.

Q: Do you dream in song?

Rarely.

Q: How long did Bhajans take to compose from start to finish?

Around 18 months.

Q: How has Bhajans surprised you?

I don't feel surprised by the piece, because I have always had faith in my work, and a belief that if I worked hard enough, and focused on it, that the music would match the vision that started it. I hope that doesn't sound glib!

Q: What are you most looking forward to with regards to the premier event?

All I aim for in my music is pure beauty as spiritual expression, which I look forward to sharing with the musicians and then the audience. 

Interview with lyricist Nimisha Patel

Q: What inspired the text you wrote for Bhajans?

This is the first time I've written text (lyrics) for a commissioned piece. A lot of my inspiration came from the Gita and many conversations with Barry about ideas from the Gita, especially related to karma. Writing text for Bhajans has been like a spiritual journey within me, I say this because while researching the meaning of Aum, I had to absorb what the four states really meant not only relation to Hinduism but to me, hence this experience will always remain very personal to me.

Q: What do you hope people understand about the text?

The text and the music combined are like an uplifting journey. I think if anything it's an opportunity for the listeners to experience the same journey.

Q: What, if anything, surprised you about working on Bhajans? (Did the experience "gift" you with anything?)

My faith in Bhajans has always been a driving force behind my ability to write what I feel and be confident as well. While away in India, I had a lot of time to reflect on the spiritual journey I've made in my life, and realised that all the lessons I have learnt from people and my own experiences are gifts that have bought wisdom to my life. To me, Bhajans is one of those gifts, bringing wisdom, lessons and happiness in my life.

Q: What was the most difficult aspect of working on Bhajans? What made it easy?

Occasionally I would get stuck for inspiration but on almost all occasions having conversations with Barry and Lizzie really helped. Both Barry and Lizzie have such amazing minds that they're real stimulation for inspiration.

Q: What was it like, working with both a composer and another lyricist on this piece?

Barry and I are good friends with a strong spiritual understanding; I have a lot of faith in his music and his ideas. Working with another lyricist was also very enjoyable. Lizzie has a lot of depth that I could relate to. Bhajans is very organic, and both Lizzie and I had a similar organic approach, whereby we discussed what the states meant to us and put in into text.