Choral Symphony For Peace

Drawing inspiration from Heiner Goebbels "Surrogate Cities" especially the version performed by Sir Simon Rattle in Berlin with community groups participating, I set out to compose a charismatic upbeat symphonic work upon which a community choir could sing relatively easy vocal lines. The Pacific Ocean is called so because of its momentous vastness and frequent calmness. It is the largest ocean in the World. At The Esalen Institute at Big Sur, California where I have worked, the waves crash energetically against the rocks and mountain streams and hot springs flow from the mountains. It is a place of great healing and was frequented originally by the America Indian Esaleen tribe. Here they would perform ceremonies of cleansing and transformation. The current Esalen institute was set up in the 1960's to transform human conciousness. Many great thinkers, philosophers, psychotherapists and gurus have lectured here including, Jack Kerouc, Henry Miller, Ram Dass, Fritz Pearls ,The Dalia Lama and Joan Baez .The Choral Symphony For Peace is segmented into10 sections which flow seamlessly into each other.

“Sea Requiem was a substantial score, yet the material flowed naturally… the extended silence which followed this conclusion…. was a tribute to the audience’s rapt concentration and the cumulative effect of Susannah Self’s fervent, directly expressive music.“

Paul Conway, Musical Opinion 2023