Jordan Garbutt

How the concept of Mask, theatre and movement has influenced the expression and physicality of
my performance of Vaughan Williams’s ‘The Lark ascending’

For my performance, I played a shortened version of one of my favourite pieces ‘The lark ascending’
by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The work is composed by for solo violin and orchestra with the solo
violinist imitating the sound of a lark. It is based on the poem ‘The Lark Ascending’, by George
Meredith which paints the scene of the bird’s movements in the air and how it is free to roam the
pastoral English countryside. Michael Kennedy introduces the work in dedication to Vaughan
Williams intentions, stating that he intended for the piece to be called a Romance for violin striving
to ‘capture the bird song’1.

I intended to give a performance that breaks classical music traditions by representing the Lark in a
visual way by wearing a loose fitting top for freedom of movement illusion and for the first time in a
performance wearing a mask. I wanted to embody the image and free-spirited nature of the Lark, as
well as giving it the character traits of the Commedia dell’arte stock character, Colombina, whose
Italian name means “Little Dove” 2in movement and in sound. Commedia dell-arte was a form of
theatre based on pre-existing folk forms and society in sixteenth century Italy.

I chose a specific mask because it had a certain poise about it just as the lark poises when perched
on a branch and Colombina has a certain poise when she moves. I also used makeup to enhance the
illusion. The mask I used is unlike a Greek theatre mask as it is not ambiguous and it only covered the
upper half of my face. I was interested in exploring a similar theme as the contemporary violinist
Hahn Bin (also known as Amadéus Leopold) whose artistic image and language gives his
performance a sense of illusion which allows him to be completely transparent with his audience.

Before I began the performance I wanted lose myself into the lark's character and abandon all
inhibition as they would say In Greek theatre that the mask was to ‘melt into the actors face allowing
them to vanish into the role’3. Before making a sound I tried to envision delicate image of the Lark
waking up from his nest high above a dewy meadow at dawn and making its first flight of the day. I
wanted to convey this feeling of complete liberation as it states in the poem, ‘and ever winging up
and up’.4

I decided to embody the two characters as they are quite similar in nature. Colombina’s character is
quite dove like herself meddling her way into the social circles of other characters and just like the
lark her voice rises above others when things get heated to calm the storm. I tried to portray this
through the repeated ‘sighs’ near the beginning of the piece before going into the arpeggio trills
imagining her yearning for her lover ‘Arlecchino’5. Her movements involve ‘shifting weight and
balance from one foot to the other’ and her movement ‘continues during speaking’6, therefore I

1
Introduction by Michael Kennedy, 2008 (The Lark Ascending, Reduction for violin and piano)
2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbina

3
https://greektheatre.wordpress.com/home/

4
Poem by George Meredith (1828-1909) – the lark ascending

5
http://www.tim-shane.com/Commedia-Columbina.htm

6
http://www.tim-shane.com/Commedia-Columbina.htm
Jordan Garbutt

wanted to convey that consistency of movement whilst playing. She has a lucid nature and rather
than conveying the comic side to her character, I wanted to portray her romantic side and the fact
that she “Raised herself above the masses of her sex” as a lone figure’7, singing and dancing, beyond
her role as a servant, striving to achieve a place, beyond her domesticated origins, in the same way
as the lark is free to roam wherever its heart desires. In reference to George Meredith’s poem, the
Lark’s movements and sounds ‘rise, lift, sing, and chirrup’.

I believe that in order to create a meaningful performance, the use of imagination is crucial to giving
the work an authentic sense of style. This concept works in conjunction with Harrison Birtwistle’s
viewpoint of an actor’s psychology before taking on the role of a character within performance in a
discussion of his masked opera ‘The Minotaur’: 8’Whatever you do has to be derived from a dramatic
centre’9- The central character of the Minotaur is not only instructed to make dark noises but dark
noises ‘with sadness’ so the actor is imbued with that feeling. In a similar way I have tried to embody
the sounds of the lark- such as the repeated trills to reflect ‘the silver chain of sound’10 within the
poem with a slight animation to highlight the fluidity of its aerial movement.

Originally I intended on visually encapsulating the lark’s movements as described in the poem by
dancing and fleeting across the room, however in the moment and within the confinements and
proximity of myself between the audience, I felt it was appropriate to simply go with the flow of my
own pace as I did not want the movement to be a distraction from the music. I have realized since
the performance that the characters can still be portrayed without being over theatrical: ‘Lack of
control never produces art; and lack of control is never capable of appreciating it. Emotion in art
needs tranquility’11.

By keeping my balance on my two standing legs I felt I could remain honest to myself as well as
giving enough sensitivity to the characters, as Peter Hall states, ‘to go “over the top” is a
demonstration of emotional dishonesty’. I believe that I would have not been able to create the
sound that I made had I not believed or imagined the world in which the Lark inhibits as well as
imagining the romantic femininity of Colombina. I strongly believe that losing myself into the fantasy
is what creates a meaningful performance. Peter Hall states that the pleasure of ‘believing is a part
of playing’, and compares this to a child’s desire to believe in things that are not real, and to
‘become things that they are not’, that it is a sin to not believe or imagine. Like breaking the spell.

This can relate to my performance as although I was behind the masked image of the lark, it was still
just as necessary for me to believe in its character for the audience to believe it. ‘The mask is a tool
of the imagination. A metaphor.12 I found in the use of the mask that it could also be used as a tool
for reducing performance anxiety as I was shielded from an audience’s perspective, unperceptive of
what they might think of my playing. After research into Peter Hall’s ‘evolution of the mask’ I truly
feel the importance of accepting the mask, as only by accepting it can you be free to use the whole
of yourself. ‘By accepting the form, accepting the mask’, ’the mask becomes him’13. He also suggests

7
http://www.tim-shane.com/Commedia-Columbina.htm

8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9odFFDY8lcA (35 mins)
9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9odFFDY8lcA (35 mins)
10
Poem by George Meredith (1828-1909) – the lark ascending
11
Exposed by the mask (page 4)
12
Exposed by the mask (page 10)
13
Exposed by the mask (page 13)
Jordan Garbutt

that the mask can ‘liberate’ a person, making them ‘apprehend a whole new world’14 which I feel is
relevant to my performance as I felt completely liberated behind the mask.

I felt that in order to capture the sense of freedom of movement it was necessary to learn the piece
from memory. Wearing the mask allowed me to feel more free and spontaneous which I hope gave
it a more improvisatory feel as opposed to playing it from the score. For instance, when the melodic
line raised in pitch and dynamic, I felt my body rising with it and when the melodic line descended I
felt my core centre gravitating back down towards my feet. I really felt like I was moving with the
music. So I strongly feel that the movement was not exaggerated, but rather, as in relation to
physical theatre, each gesture was justified by an inner emotion. In his analysis of ‘The moving body’
Jacques Lecoq stresses that ‘In the theatre making a movement is never a mechanical act but must
always be a gesture that is justified. Its justification may consist in an indication or an action, or even
an inward state.’15 After performing the work in this way I strongly resonate with Lecoq’s statement
that ‘whatever the actor’s gesture’ (as a musician’s) ‘it is inscribed in the relationship between the
actor and the surrounding space, and gives rise to an inner, emotive state’.16

With regards to feedback from my playing in general, I have been informed of how easily I tense my
body whilst I’m playing yet somehow the mask made me feel free of tension. Perhaps it could be
purely psychological, that the mask was simply a tool for disguising it, allowing me to feel more free
and relaxed. There are many types of disguises in mask, in my case I attempted to embody the
mask, as opposed to disguising myself or exposing myself through it.

In addition to this I did not apply the mask to conceal my true self instead I'm using it to fully express
the true emotions I feel when playing the piece. In a similar way to the use of Greek mask I'm using it
to try and enable a range of feeling and an extremity of passion which is often more difficult without
a form of mask. In my instance I found the mask helped me to imagine a new world.

The violinist Hahn bin has an extreme form of visual identity who uses heavy makeup which can be
disguised as a form of mask. As his career developed his personal and artistic identity evolved into a
character which challenged assumptions about dress codes in terms of classical music standards. In a
performance of him playing the Allemande from Bach’s second partita, Held in conjunction with the
exhibition Andy Warhol: Motion Pictures, you can see him wearing mask-like makeup that covers his
eyes giving the impression that he is unable to make contact with anyone/anything else but his
connection with the music. On reflection of my performance, I believe I adopted a similar persona.

If you pay close attention to his facial expressions you can see that he is feeling emotion whilst he is
playing, the makeup almost acts like a guard against the emotional pain he might be feeling. Some
people may describe this performance as ‘artificial’ as they feel like they are unable to connect with
the person behind the mask however I feel that he uses this method as a subtle way of hiding his
troubled background through artistic expression. He states in his short film ‘he is able to live the
music through every aspect of his ‘life’ and ‘body’.17 William Forde Thompson informs us that ‘live
performers invariably use facial expressions and gestures in in salient and meaningful ways.’18 This
suggests that the subtle act of a facial expression such as a raised eyebrow or a smile gives a

14
Exposed by the mask (page 10)

15
The moving body (page 69)
16
The moving body (page 70)
17
https://vimeo.com/98153971

18
Music, thought and feeling (page 254)
Jordan Garbutt

performance a heightened sense of animation- In my case despite being behind a mask, it did not
prevent me from using facial expressions and gestures to communicate my characters sense of
freedom and spontaneity.
Jordan Garbutt

Bibliography:

 Title: Exposed by the mask

Author: Peter hall exposed by the mask
Publisher: Oberon books ltd
Published: 2000

 Score: The lark ascending, reduction for violin and piano, RVW
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Edition published in 2008

 Poem by George Meredith (1828-1909) – the lark ascending

(Included in the score of The lark ascending, reduction for violin and piano, RVW)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Edition published in 2008

 Title: The moving body

Author: Jacques Lecoq
Publisher: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama
Published: 2000

 Birtwhistle’s The Minotaur:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9odFFDY8lcA

 Hahn Bin: performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKSsL9s67Cs

 Hahn Bin interview:

https://vimeo.com/98153971

 Greek Theatre: https://greektheatre.wordpress.com/home/

 Colombina character: http://www.tim-shane.com/Commedia-Columbina.htm

 Title: Music, thought and feeling: Understanding the psychology of music, second edition
Author: William Forde Thomspon
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2009