Photo credit: Jennifer Reynolds

(3 / 5)



I would first hear the poetry of Mary Jean Chan on Radio 4 around 2018. Moved by her Orlando Shooting work, I emailed her to ask I I could use it form my piano memorial for that attack and she kindly obliged. In the interim of this, she now teaches poetry at Oxford University and her second set of poetry Bright Fear is making headlines as a stellar bit of verse.

Prior to this concert setting of this new book, I devoured Bright Fear at Bristol Airport, around Paris and then the Eurostar. Mary read selections from these simple poems, yet they are so impacful. I find her still reflections on home, nationality, language and sexuality profound. Her work has been dubbed “clear” and whilst this is true, it helps put poetry on a much more accessible plain. There are window glass reflections on life, the worries and guilt you might feel day to day. It’s the family that shines through, as Hong Kong was their home and now England is. Romance and racism appear as further spirits.

Through these quiet ponderings, we have the score from Nicola T. Chang. Bright Fear: a suite for Poet and Chamber Orchestra held an elastic width, honouring both Europe and Asia music traditions. Again, accessible in nature, thus featuring rarly seen instruments of Chinese origin: erhu, dizi, bawu and yang qin. These string and woodwind instruments (with some percussion also) added to the pot in a score that went off on it’s on for many bars, In others the poetry was heard within the score.

Nicola lead from the piano, often smiling and sharing with these musicians, an element of electronic music also featured. I’m wondering if poetry as strong as this needs a musical accompliment? In some ways it worked and had a plush orchestration, clear musical ideas from China and beyond. Mostly classical in form, moments of discoured lingered, though the main bulk was bright, cheerful and melding with this vivid verse.