Nostalgia
Vincent Ho
5 min
Nostalgia, originally from movement II of The Shaman, a concerto for percussion and orchestra, has been arranged here for solo vibraphone. This version, intended as an encore piece for The Shaman, is also considered a stand-alone work by the composer. Nostalgia also exists in a version for solo piano.
“Nostalgia,” was initially inspired by three things: a photo taken by Doug Barber of an old man looking out of a window during sunset, a painting by Luc Leestemaker titled Voyager #7 (seen above), and an accompanying poem to the painting by the same artist titled “Voyager” (about an endearing childhood memory). These three works shared a nostalgic quality that warranted musical interpretation. However, in order for me to capture this emotion, I had to search through my own personal history to find the one memory that brought me the same bittersweet longing; a moment in my life that I have treasured and kept close to my heart. Once I had found it, I was brought back to that sacred emotional space and the music soon wrote itself.
Voyager
When I was a little boy
I’d be in the street with my father
On a Saturday afternoon
He washed the car and
I played with a boat, in the river of water and soap
That gulped down the road.
By laying my head on the ground I imagined the boat being a steamer
I stepped on board and took off.
Sitting in my studio today I imagined again getting into that boat
And Float
And disappear…
– Luc Leestemaker
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