Simon, you’re full of surprises! I honestly regarded African Sanctus as the kind of thing you’d run a mile from.
I just hope the “identity politics” ideologues don’t get wind of this post, otherwise you’ll be inundated with exactly the kind of BTL comment you don’t want! While I accept that cultural appropriation is a genuine phenomenon, and there are clear examples of it (e.g. Caroline Shaw’s incorporation of imitations of Inuit throat-singing into Partita without employing, paying or even crediting any bona fide throat-singers), “borrowing” from other cultures is a very nuanced issue, and I’m sure Fanshawe (while himself not free of controversy during his lifetime) would have been horrified to have his intentions so lazily misrepresented as to have found himself lumped into the same category as Shaw’s blatant not-even-by-your-leave.
Unfortunately, when said ideologues are abroad all nuance flies out of the window. I recently sought the opinion of one of them on Tippett’s use of African-American spirituals in A Child of Our Time. Surely, I thought, it would be clear to this individual that Tippett was aiming to unversalise the suffering explored in his oratorio by quoting songs that had cross-cultural resonance? Nope, they were having none of that: according to them, had Tippett been a white American who’d grown up around such music, what he did in ACoOT might just have been acceptable; otherwise, it simply wasn’t excusable, full stop. What tosh!
Well, now you’ve put me on the spot, I’m not sure myself. Perhaps something about its (over?)earnestness and evident desire to be all things to all people? But I’m clutching at straws, really, as I happen to like the work myself…
That’s an interesting remark, about its “desire to be all things to all people” – i’ve never thought of it like that, but i can totally see where you’re coming from. i guess to an extent i regard the piece as more interesting and significant for what it is (in terms of its embracing of disjunct cultures/beliefs) than what it does (in terms of Fanshawe’s musical language). Beyond African Sanctus i don’t really know what constitutes his musical language anyway, as apart from a couple of other things included on the two recordings of the piece, i haven’t heard anything else by him, so i’ve no frame of reference. But i certainly would run a mile from that Lord’s Prayer setting – much, much more than a mile in fact.
Unlock with Patreon
Simon, you’re full of surprises! I honestly regarded African Sanctus as the kind of thing you’d run a mile from.
I just hope the “identity politics” ideologues don’t get wind of this post, otherwise you’ll be inundated with exactly the kind of BTL comment you don’t want! While I accept that cultural appropriation is a genuine phenomenon, and there are clear examples of it (e.g. Caroline Shaw’s incorporation of imitations of Inuit throat-singing into Partita without employing, paying or even crediting any bona fide throat-singers), “borrowing” from other cultures is a very nuanced issue, and I’m sure Fanshawe (while himself not free of controversy during his lifetime) would have been horrified to have his intentions so lazily misrepresented as to have found himself lumped into the same category as Shaw’s blatant not-even-by-your-leave.
Unfortunately, when said ideologues are abroad all nuance flies out of the window. I recently sought the opinion of one of them on Tippett’s use of African-American spirituals in A Child of Our Time. Surely, I thought, it would be clear to this individual that Tippett was aiming to unversalise the suffering explored in his oratorio by quoting songs that had cross-cultural resonance? Nope, they were having none of that: according to them, had Tippett been a white American who’d grown up around such music, what he did in ACoOT might just have been acceptable; otherwise, it simply wasn’t excusable, full stop. What tosh!
i’m not sure what aspects of African Sanctus would make you think i’d run a mile from it?
As for the rest (having written and deleted quite a lengthy response) – no comment!
Well, now you’ve put me on the spot, I’m not sure myself. Perhaps something about its (over?)earnestness and evident desire to be all things to all people? But I’m clutching at straws, really, as I happen to like the work myself…
That’s an interesting remark, about its “desire to be all things to all people” – i’ve never thought of it like that, but i can totally see where you’re coming from. i guess to an extent i regard the piece as more interesting and significant for what it is (in terms of its embracing of disjunct cultures/beliefs) than what it does (in terms of Fanshawe’s musical language). Beyond African Sanctus i don’t really know what constitutes his musical language anyway, as apart from a couple of other things included on the two recordings of the piece, i haven’t heard anything else by him, so i’ve no frame of reference. But i certainly would run a mile from that Lord’s Prayer setting – much, much more than a mile in fact.
[…] Read the full review at http://www.5against4.com […]