Composer and Conductor: Jeremy Arden
Jeremy Arden’s mix of chamber music, video projection, and electronica has a lot to live up to. Billed as a ‘journey through the mystical and psychological’, it’s named after two key spiritual elements that point to the composer’s Jewish background and his current practice of Buddhism.
Ruah is Hebrew for breath or spirit, referring to the breath or essence of God. ‘Three Thousand Realms in a single moment of life’ is a Buddhist concept that provides a basis of hope in that it asserts that our reality at each moment is a function of our life state, that when our life state changes, the world itself appears in a new light.
In bringing these two concepts together, Arden aims to take the listener on a mystical musical journey, comprising six pieces that build from a duet through to an all-encompassing finale featuring the chamber orchestra, electronic sounds, keyboards, percussion and about 10 audience members chanting.
Musically, Ruah is a hard piece to penetrate. Starting simply with a cello and piano, the overall musical tone of the evening is set. The piece is melodically difficult. Dissonance seems to be the order of the day and any noticeable melody is batted away through a seemingly disjointed accompaniment. As the opening duo moves into a trio and then a string quartet, the same musical issue remains; what’s going on?
Piece Four thankfully gives us some sense of what’s happening. It’s called ‘Songs From Hell’ and features vocalist Lore Lixenburg. Her blend of rapid chanting, spoken word and operatic singing, however, fails to give any clarity as to what’s being communicated though the single or combined pieces.
As we work our way to the climatic end, featuring around a dozen audience members standing up and repeating a Buddhist chant, there’s a sense that you’re missing out on something. The music is confusing and, at times it feels like a barrage of noise. It’s not an easy, or for that matter, a pleasant listen. But you’re exceptionally aware that something is being communicated.
The musicians are obviously talented, the pieces seem to feature an array of skills for each and so you assume that there’s something in the music we’re listening to that is trying to tell us something. Possibly a deeper understanding of music theory, or maybe a further opening of one’s mind is what’s needed.
Spirituality is a very subjective matter, and maybe that’s the key to Ruah. Without any knowing or obvious signposts, you’re left to unpick and decipher each piece for yourself. Your interpretation, good or bad, is your individual spiritual journey. The overwhelming problem that resonates, though, is can you be bothered?
Reviewed on 23 November 2022
