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Re: Resurgam (Eric Ball) boundary="PART.BOUNDARY.0.17907.hp1.online.apple.com.822600949"



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A second attempt to relay Resurgam program notes as "text"

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	name="Resurgam"

RESURGAM

A Tone Poem
by
Eric Walter John Ball (October 31, 1903 - October 1, 1989)

(Program notes by Robert Getz)
	=

	The word resurgam comes from the Latin word resurgo, meaning "to rise ag=
ain, to appear again, to lift oneself".   Resurgam means "I shall rise ag=
ain", the most intimate and personal form of the word. =


	A World War II war correspondent coined the now famous phrase:  "It  is =
 a  riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma".  Not surprisingly, thi=
s piece written by  "brass  banding's  mystic" (born  on  All  Hallows  E=
ve)   fits   this   description   perfectly  -- a riddle wrapped in a mys=
tery inside an enigma.

	Several things point to this conundrum.  Eric was not in the habit of de=
dicating his works, yet he dedicated Resurgam to his wife's younger siste=
r, Elsa, with no explanation.  Some say it was because the piece came to =
him during the time of his struggles over resigning from  the  Army,  the=
  tragic  illness  which  took  Elsa and which perhaps led him deeper int=
o spiritualism -- which may have led him to Resurgam.  Perhaps, but we wi=
ll never know.  Another mystery is that  Ball,  a  former  Salvation  Arm=
y  Officer,  elected  to  use  text from the ancient  apocryphal  book  o=
f The  Wisdom  of  Solomon, rather than the more accepted Scriptures.   I=
s the choice of text tied to his bitterness over being pressured to resig=
n his Army commission?  If Not, why did he select so pointed a text from =
"secret" and sometimes doubted scriptures when equally convincing or supe=
rior texts can be found in the more universally accepted books?    There =
 are  musical  riddles  as  well.   For  example,  what  does  the hammer=
ing figure in the development section mean?  First there is one note, aga=
in, then three, then four, one, one then six . . . why?  Some say "fate k=
nocking", while others are mystified that it seems not to fit at all and =
yet somehow strangely belongs -- a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an =
enigma?

	There is more.   Little is known about the creation of the piece.  The c=
omposer stated to this writer that he did not remember doing it at all.  =
This is confirmed by Peter Cooke in the biography, Eric Ball -- the man a=
nd his music.   However, the piece didn't magically appear on paper.   Cl=
early,  memory  nohstanding, much thought went into  the  writing, th=
e inclusion of quoted tunes or motifs,  even the selection of an obscure =
 Latin  title.  The opening phrase is a modified quote from Ball's vocal =
piece "The Awakeners",  a  Salvation  Army  Training Session song: "Awake=
 thou that sleepest,  and  arise  from   the  dead".    Interestingly,  t=
hese  opening  notes  also  fit  the  first  phrase of the selected text =
from the Apocrypha if the word "but" is omitted.

			"But the souls of the upright are in the hands of God,  =

				And no torment can reach them.
			In the eyes of foolish people they seemed to die,
				And their decease was thought an affliction,
			And their departure from us their ruin,
				But they are at peace".

	The tone poem has five basic elements which are presented as in the foll=
owing outline:  A B A C D E A D.   Considering the subject matter, one  i=
s  left  to  ponder  whether  or  not  Ball was aware of the word spelled=
 by the second half of the form outline.  Is this a part of the mystery, =
or just coincidence?



	The composer has clearly stated that there was no intent to specifically=
 tie any text to any musical ideas, but this rather should be left to eac=
h listener to divine for themselves.   Such statements nohstanding, B=
all was as much a literalist in selecting musical themes that directly po=
rtray text and ideas as was Bach.    Consequently,  it  is  not  out of t=
he realm of possibility, in fact likely, that he had thoughts of specific=
 texts (at least in the back of his mind) as he wrote various sections of=
 Resurgam.   Regardless, this writer has conducted and played  the  piece=
  many  times  and  listened  many  more  and finds some possible conject=
ures useful when searching for further individual access to the spirit of=
 the piece. =


	The piece begins with what has been called the "Faith" motif (theme A). =
    This is very solemn but hopeful music, but  which  ends  questioningl=
y,  almost  as  though  the  players are singing, unconvinced, a  quote f=
rom the apocryphal text: "and no torment can reach them".  This is abrupt=
ly interrupted  by  a  driving,  conflict-ridden  section  filled  with  =
questioning and  wailing  (B),  which is repeated.    The faith motif (A)=
 returns followed by even more questioning and doubting, reiterating over=
 and again the uncertain entreaty "and no torment can reach them .  . . r=
each them . . . reach them".     This  leads  to  a  cornet  solo  filled=
 with deep despair (C).  Once again, the words from the text seem to fit =
emotionally and are easily adapted musically (especially the second phras=
e): "And their decease was thought an affliction, and their departure fro=
m us their  ruin . . ."   However the composer in his score notes (and re=
hearsals) offered the telling suggestion of thinking "death took my love =
away".   Either way it is very tortured music.      This  theme  is  tran=
sferred  to  the euphoniums accompanied  by  a  cornet  obbligato.    A  =
brief  euphonium  recitative  evolves into a soaring melody  of  hope (D)=
=2E     This  is  interrupted  by  sinister  forces  represented  by  the=
  lower instruments and turmoil and bitter conflict are the stuff of this=
 section (E).   We hear a battle between the upper  voices  seeming  to  =
try  to triumphantly shout "But they are at peace" against the sinister f=
orces of evil and death in the lower voices.   Cascading chromatics, the =
pounding or "fate knocking" motif, and the insistent Dies irae ("day of w=
rath", from the 13th century mass for the dead) -- are the elements of th=
is section.   Finally as the last pounding of fate dies, distant bells to=
ll, and the "death" motif (borrowed from the composer's own Exodus) follo=
wed by a crash of the gong ominously ends this section.  The faith motif =
(A) introduces the return of the soaring euphonium melody of hope (D), wh=
ich is now wonderfully fulfilled and transformed from hope to promise of =
eternal life in the resurrection.  As the music lifts us beyond life, cou=
ld there perhaps be a suggestion of the composer's own setting of "In the=
 Secret of Thy Presence"?  All questions  are transfigured  into  quiet  =
"amens",  underscored by a final reminder of the faith which began our pi=
lgrimage.

	Resurgam was not available to Army bands until January, 1967 almost twen=
ty years after it was written.  The  great  British  composer/conductor, =
Elgar Howarth, states: "The spirituality of Resurgam as much as its super=
b scoring has made it the most performed and best loved piece in the band=
 repertoire".   It  was  the  Belle  Vue  test  piece  in  1950.  Eric Ba=
ll conducted the fourth place band and admitted that the first place winn=
er, Harry Mortimer, understood the piece and found more depth  in  it  th=
an  he,  the composer!   Such a piece and such a man may never be encount=
ered again until we all experience Resurgam.  Amen.






Robert Getz
4536 Kirkcaldy Road
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304
(810) 540-0667

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