Luke Howard - Interlinked

A Closer Listen

Luke Howard is no stranger to orchestral arrangement, but Interlinked is the composer’s first work for full orchestra, the score to Juliano Nunes’ ballet Interlinked.  The choreography intentionally challenges gender norms in ballet, while the fluidity of the score underlines the approach.  The first and last tracks are alternate arrangements; “Conception” is stripped down to solo piano, while “Solidarity” is fleshed out by the addition of label mates Lara Somogyi on harp and Shards on vocals.

The theme of both choreography and score is unity, exemplified by the process of collaboration.  These performers are linked to each other, as are the tracks; echoes of one piece can be heard in another, just as echoes of one person can often be gleaned in another. It all starts softly and simply, as “Conception” was first introduced as a piece for World Sleep Day: a slight irony as it is the first track, instead of the last.  The contrast between this track and those that follow is that of the solitary person, inwardly complete, yet enhanced and amplified by company. When the orchestra arrives, it is as if to suggest two possibilities, harmony or dissonance, and to choose the former ~ a lesson applicable in multiple scenarios from the musical to the societal.  The rising scales that introduce “Unity” suggest rising awareness and higher hopes; after this, the notes rise and fall as the different string lines intertwine.  The chimes present another hint of aspiration, appearing alongside an increase in density and volume.  A slow, insistent drumbeat and flourishes of brass lift the piece to the stratosphere of imagination.

“Reflection” is slower, but no less full, an opportunity to muse on failure and possibility.  Human stereotypes go far beyond gender norms; but what if one were to think of the “other” as something promising, rather than something opposed?  The success of this piece is that it prompts a personal inventory, even without the title.  The titles each represent rungs: “Communication,” “Realization,” “Growth,” and finally “Solidarity.”  Nunes and Howard are optimistic, focusing on connection: not necessarily similarity, but complement.  The surge at the center of “Communication” is akin to an “aha” moment, a sudden, glorious epiphany.  The staccato strings of “Realisation” reflect an inner turmoil in search of resolution.

The set’s sweetest track, “Growth,” languishes on a bed of peace, closing the choreography proper, wrapping the ballet in a bow.  But Howard has an alternative ending in mind.  “Growth” rises to a lovely climax, but “Solidarity” changes the script, adding the dimensions of harp and voice, as if to suggest that there are always other voices, expressions and ideas that might be added to the mix. No matter how full an orchestra may be, it can always be fuller: a metaphor for the modern age. (Richard Allen)

Available here