Where Is The Music?

written, performed, produced & mixed by Gaynor Perry 

Cover painting: We Set Sail (see Golden Colloquy)

Where Is The Music?

Diamond John 

left his favourite book for Norman

and his ancient juke box.

His ancient juke box.

He was on a cliff edge 

chasing hawks for so long.

Cast in bronze 

by the setting sun.

Maybe a spell could release him

from all the vagaries of the heart.

Maybe a spell could release him

from all the wanderings in the dark.

Where is the music?

Is it in the sky, or in the way you smile?

Is it in the golden light?

Where is the music?

Golden Colloquy

She spoke with fingers unwound

My rooms are dusty

Vessel

Seed sower implanting a memory

Home is a hearth

We set sail

We set sail on undulating waters. 

Our momentum is interrupted.

Teetering on a frozen crest of waves with buckling knees; 

a freeze is chasing us, arresting our expedition. 

Ice crystal fingers punch through the cabin taking the roof off. 

We are all surprised by the vitality of this icicle fiend 

and wonder how we will thaw. 

We wonder what caused Winter to pursue us like a hunter. 

Our enquiry hangs in the glacial sky, and we disembark perplexed.

The voluminous night is dense, 

I can point my finger through it and feel particles drag. 

I wind my finger circumspectly. 

My body follows effecting a somersault demonstration 

crafted in the thick air. 

This is how it is done, I say to the upturned faces below. 

I’m getting the hang of it now and stoop like a peregrine 

tearing a strip out of the sky, 

revealing a new world.

I am reforging a tuppence in the afterglow, 

creating delicate perpendicular shards: 

a copper city built on bronze substratum; 

a maquette minted in the mind's eye. 

There are aspects shutting down; 

I have decommissioned them at this time. 

Withdrawing resources from certain quarters

to address core needs formerly built on sands. 

Winter’s breath is upon me in this metaphysical vacuum. 

I will make my fire here.

Our colloquy

In this series, Golden Colloquy, each painting illustrates a poem and depicts a dialogue with the subconscious. Entered into through altered states of consciousness: lucid dreaming or astral projection. The titles are lines from the poems. Each painting 30 x 30 cm, oil on board.

 

 This series is ongoing.

How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay?

I’ve made an audio version of my book of dreams. This is an experimental album of narrated dream stories set to atmospheric musical scores. I would like to share with you my perceptions. Or rather, how I have listened to my soul speaking to me in the language of dreams. 

I am joined in these recordings by the voices of my creative allies, who have brought these texts to life in ways I could not have imagined. I’m full of gratitude for their spirited, thoughtful and compassionate readings. 

During sleep the body and mind repairs itself in order to thrive. It is a time for restoration where essential truths are revealed in the realm of dreams, engaging with all the senses. In dreams, perception of time and space defies scientific laws. There are no rules in these surreal vistas, only an invitation to explore, untethered, and learn the true nature of our fears and desires. 

Throughout history a reverence for the power and meaning of dreams has shaped civilisations.  They provide us with a potent awareness of ourselves and our bearing in the world. 

We sleep. We dream.

Words, music, production & concept by Gaynor Perry.

Flute: Sarah Anne Robins (tracks 2 & 29) 

Violin: Noel Vine (track 13) 

Clarinet: Robert Schuck (track 13) 

Organ: Jessica Lauren (track 10) 

Whistling: Noko 440 (track 15) 

Mastered by Brian Lucey (except 31) Simon Gibson (track 31) 

Cover art & photography by Gaynor Perry 

Owing to the nature of dreams, some of this work may be unsuitable for children.

The Narrators (image below):

Top L-R Gaynor Perry, Deborah Griffin. Middle L-R Kate Daisy Grant, Simone Austwick, Jemima Price, Jessica Lauren. Bottom L-R Raven Kaliana, Lynne Manzi, Amanda Hull, Maria Rosamojo.

My intention in creating this work is to transcribe stories delivered in the dream state directly from the subconscious. And to describe these sensory experiences musically; creating richly atmospheric landscapes through which the intangible and ephemeral can be manifested. The aim is to provide anecdotal evidence of the innate intelligence residing within each one of us; that guides and heals us through our lifetime. 

The dreams conveyed in this body of work were harvested over a period of three years and many highlight to me areas of unresolved emotional trauma; experiences that are difficult to understand and process. The dreams provide me with a lens through which to assimilate these experiences into my being. I have endeavoured to write frank and literal accounts of what I saw, felt and heard. The dreams are calibrated by my subconscious to provide me with the insight and sensory discharge required to maintain equilibrium in order to thrive.

I am presenting this intimate body of work for public display as I would like to share my experiences of communicating with self. I believe this is the truest bond we can attain, and one which is so often dissociated. I believe the information from the subconscious mind is the most pertinent information available to us.