Sonata: violare, col legno is Philip Lancaster’s fifteen-part poetry sequence in search of the music of silence. Its title betrays its musical origins and aspirations, drawing on sonata form, with motifs and ideas that recur and develop across the course of the poem. Violare, col legno, on the other hand, tells something of the poem’s substance. Col legno is an indication used when writing for stringed instruments, indicating that the performer should play with the back of the bow: ‘with the wood’. Violare, on the other hand, tells not of instruments, but of violation. The violation of silence; the violation of hope.

Philip Lancaster is a composer, concert singer and scholar specialising in early 20th century music. As a composer, he has been supported by a scholarship from the Finzi Trust, resulting in ‘War Passion’, a chamber oratorio, which Philip was invited to complete for performance at the Gloucester Three Choirs Festival in 2016. Recent music has included collaborations with poets John Greening and Euan Tait, and a cycle of short piano pieces based on haiku by Tomas Tranströmer. In his scholarly work, Philip is a leading authority on the work of composer-poet Ivor Gurney. His editions of Gurney’s music have been published, recorded, broadcast, and performed internationally. He is co-editor of Gurney’s Complete Poetical Works: a 5-volume variorum edition being published by Oxford University Press.

The double-sided cover image of Sonata was created by Anna Hussey and printed on Favini Crush. The book itself was printed on Mohawk Superfine and section sewn.

ISBN 978-1-913749-07-1 / 184 x 140mm / 48pp
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