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| 8 Jul 2024 | |
| Written by Esme Adachi (Harper) | |
| 1574-2024 Anniversary Features |
'That Which is Hidden' seeks to celebrate the people and community of the school over its long history, including a strong musical tradition. It takes its title from the English translation of the school motto 'Patebit tum quod latuit' - that which is hidden, shall be revealed.
The opening introit serves to set a mystical and shimmering atmosphere. The school motto is sung in hushed tones to a cluster chord comprising scale degrees 1,5,7 and 4, reflecting the school's foundation year. This chord and the motif which is formed by playing these scale degrees as a melody, return frequently throughout the piece. The texture builds and the mist clears, like a beacon calling people from across the country. The atmosphere suddenly becomes fraught and suspenseful again, the whisphered motto sounds antiphonally, leading us into the next section, more agitated and fast-paced. In this movement, melodies and words from eras past rise out of a bubbling, tense texture, all with some association with the school.
We hear the patriotic tones of the old school song, the Cornish anthem 'Trelawney', whose lyrics were written by CGS alumnus R.S. Hawker; several quotations from Gustav Holst (another famous alumnus), such as his 'Cotswold Symphony' and 'The Planets', and the Welsh song 'Men of Harlech', whose connection to the Wars of the Roses reflects the namesake of the modern school houses.
Through exploring these different fragments of the school's musical heritage, the music builds to a climax, plunging us back into the mystery of the opening. Here the piece settles and opens up into a brief reflective interlude, with the haunting tones of an offstage solo trumpet inviting us to reflect upon the memories of those who have come before us. From here, a lively percussion groove takes us into the final section which celebrates the strong and positive school community which takes the Pate's legacy forward in the present day, opening up into a glorious final display wherein the English translation of the motto is revealed, set to the 1574 motif to close the piece.
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