Composer Richard Blackford writes of his Five Naidu Songs for Mezzo Soprano: “Sarojini Naidu’s poems cover a wide range of human experience, from love, ecstasy, delight in the natural world, loneliness, acceptance and praise. These five poems form a cycle of one Indian woman’s experience of lost love, delight in a colourful procession, the thrill of new young love, contemplation of death, and ecstasy at the beauty of creation and the omnipresence of God. Her poetry pulsates with her love of Indian landscapes, seasons and flowers, simple joys, devotion and the splendor of Indian festivals. I chose an accompaniment of string quartet and clarinet to extend and enhance the richness of Naidu’s imagery and the passion she evokes. The clarinet, like a second melodic voice, weaves around the vocal line, sometimes sensuous, sometimes raucous and abandoned, in imitation of the Indian double-reed instrument the shenai. Many of the songs have long introductions, interludes and postludes, where the writing becomes more symphonic than mere accompaniment.” The present edition is the full score with instrumental parts.
