The Story
This is a story of one man's dream. A dream driven by his passion for music and his admiration and respect for women.
April 2004
“It all started after landing in Prague Airport at 7 o’clock at night where I was met by a camera team. By 9 o’clock the next morning we were in Smecky Studios, which were next door to the hotel. The Smecky Studios were where the Gestapo held their tea dances during the War. The musicians were just arriving and tuning up, and I was feeling very excited about hearing my music for the first time. It had taken me about 6 years to reach this point; in front of me was an 80 piece orchestra, with all the studio engineers and producers running around. It was to be a memorable day: Paul Bateman took to the rostrum to begin conducting my music and, as soon as the orchestra started to play the first four bars of Spring, I felt that the doors of heaven had just opened up and my dad was there to greet me, saying “Well done, son.”
The music that Paul had orchestrated for me was wonderful; everything that I had written and heard was there. We completed all the music in 5 days but we still had to do a lot more when we got back to England, like organising a 60 member choir, which was put on the end of Journey & Time. It had the required effect: very gothic, as if they were the angels welcoming you through the gates of heaven.
It was very exciting for me to be there in the studios when we added them; as an after-thought I would put them on more of my work in future. That work is now completed and the documentary film is complete."
Ronnie Smith has nurtured for some time the idea of composing a musical work dedicated to surely that most complex of species, which one may fail to understand yet never cease to admire: Woman.
A woman’s life is an ever-changing pattern of emotions and experiences. From the innocence and anticipation of youth, to the tranquillity and resignation of old age, her moods reflect every colour of the rainbow. In Ronnie’s orchestral work, each chapter of a woman’s life is likened to the seasons of the year and arranged into four suites followed by a Rhapsody and concluding with “Journey and Time”.
The odyssey itself opens with a conversation between four women: A child - Spring; a young woman - Summer, a middle-aged woman - Autumn' and an elderly woman - Winter.
Spring is divided into three sections: Carefree, Innocence and Simplicity, each having a great feeling of “play”. Summer represents young adulthood. The main portion of this movement depicts Freedom, Ambition and Hope, with the orchestral colour and instrumentation evoking the mood of each emotion.
Autumn portrays emotions of Fulfilment, Rejuvenation and Reconciliation. With the children leaving home, the mother seizes the opportunity to find a new type of life. “I had visions” says Ronnie “of a woman sitting alone on a darkened stage, looking at herself in a mirror, gently brushing her hair. The music is creating a feeling of anxiety, both happiness and sadness, with the visuals aspects depicting her inner thoughts of ‘Where am I going?’, ‘What happens now?’, ‘Am I looking older?’ This melancholy finds a release, displaying new and vivid colours in the Woman’s life, never before experienced. But, nevertheless, the leaves are falling from the trees.”
Winter brings Contemplation, Contentment and Resignation. This suite is very emotive yet relaxed as we are eventually reaching the conclusion of the story yet always maintaining a sense of accomplishment.
The finale Rhapsody is much more exuberant and celebratory, with a stylised solo piano part, Journey and Time: Time is always a thing that most men never give to their women: loved ones, daughters, and mothers. Time is of the essence in the life of a woman.
As a bonus track there
is the addition of an earlier Ronnie Smith composition, Concertino. A brief
but complex work for piano and orchestra.
“I had my launch party at my house in Bushey in October 2004, to which
over 100 guests came. It was fantastic but this was only the beginning”.
Ronnie received much support from friends such as Rick Wakeman, Robert Farnham
and Steve Grey. He thanks them all.
Click here for an extract from the documentary of Robert Farnham talking to Ronnie. (DivX 5.2 required)
performed
by The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Paul Bateman
and the Crouch End Festival Chorus
conducted by David Temple
concert
master Radovan Sandera
soloists Jaromir Klepac
Mario Messany
Ivan Myslikovjan
Peter Binder
Marek Zvolanek
Miroslav Kejmar
recording
produced by James Fitzpatrick
recorded at Smecky Studios, Prague
& Angel Studios, London
recording
engineer Jan Holzner - Prague
Gary Thomas - London
recording mixed and mastered at Sound Technology, St. Ives
mixed and mastered by Gareth Williams
© 2004 Ronnie Smith
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This
site was produced by Paul
Wheeler |
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