A few years ago the artist and photographer Joyce Evans commissioned me to write a piece for string quartet, in memory of her mother Rosa. I wrote For Rosa on that occasion.
In 2012 Joyce asked me to revisit this project, for Flinders String Quartet. This time the piece was to be about the wider family, to include her children and grandchildren.
We met a few times and I was introduced to her two children Deborah (in person) and Brad (over the phone) and we spoke at length about their lives and experiences. What followed was my impressions of Joyce’s Mob.
There are four contrasting movements each representing a moment or an aspect relating to Joyce’s family.
The first movement is fast and energetic with much syncopation and spiky figurations. I wanted to convey a feeling of celebration and, most of all the JOY in Joyce!
The second movement is calmer and more laconic. The cello introduces a twonote groove underneath subtly shifting chords. The rhythmic element becomes more dominant in the next section and leads to a more animated episode in A minor before the initial theme returns. This movement was inspired by my impression of Brad.
In the third movement I introduce a Polish melody that Joyce’s mother used to sing to her. I use elements of the melody to create the initial texture until it is stated fully in the 49th bar.
The fourth movement is somewhat relentless, and seeks to capture the enthusiasm and adventurous spirit of Joyce’s daughter Deborah who likes to travel. I was also particularly inspired when Joyce told me of her ritual of taking each grandchild once on a special birthday trip once they turned ten. There is a constant sense of movement and travel in the musical material. It begins with a kind of ‘step’ motif of up and down motion. I’ve tried to imbue the writing with a sense of fun and expectation, such as one might feel before taking a journey.
Elena Kats-Chernin, July 2013
