Hymns are defined as a sacred song. And Ashley Noel Jones, the musical director for Mirrors, crafted music of that sound. Below is a transcription of Ashley’s thoughts as music director.
The filmed staged production of Mirrors by 2018 Commission Winner Azure D. Osborne-Lee will premiere at Parity’s 5th Annual Awards Ceremony & Celebration on Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 at 6 pm ET. Click here for in-person and online tickets.
Sources of Inspiration
There were a ton of [hymns pulled from]. I like a lot of old folk music and Roots songs. Smithsonian Folk Wave was an incredible resource. It was great for music recordings, but not just music... lots of things. "Soon One Morning" "Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed."
Rivers Original By Ashley Noel Jones
Rivers was an original song written by me. It's on an EP, it's the opening track on that record. It base structure of that song was written on an acoustic guitar. I don't write whole lot of up tempo songs, or mid tempo songs... I wanted to write a piece with a switch it in. The song is one thing and it transforms into another song within the song... It has a spiritual theme to it... I wouldn't call it a hymn. But it has a spiritual meaning to it... I just happened to be singing that song, and I said, 'This works.' A lot of times when I do it live, I do this sort of humming thing that I sort of get the audience to do.. The lead part that is sung before the rest of the cast.. was sung by Natalie Jacobs, who was in the play and who is a terrific singer.. It was really cool. I've never really heard anybody in that capacity other than my friends or people when they come to my shows live.. But it was really magical to get to hear Natalie sing this song. I've heard anybody other than myself.
Incubation of Southern Hymns in Mirrors
These types of communal songs, you know, they change. Depending on the region, depending on who's singing it. Depending on... the lyrics changing...with Blues and Roots music there's like 25 versions of every song. I would just go with what I could hear in multiple people's voices... Call and response. And things that you have to guess about, because it's like, this it's a perfect piece of music. Or here's your piano playing your melody and all these things... What does this sound shape into? ... Does the tempo need to be faster... melancholy? ... It was nice to craft those moments. We were singing a cappella, so it had to be stuff that could in the moment be created. But it couldn't sound so plain and bland... Using body percussion, and stomps.
1960's Dramaturgy
We had a great dramaturg Arminda [Thomas], who was amazing. We have great packages... giving us more insight into the time periods. The music for the show in those moments of songs that might be relevant or could be meaningful or special to Bird or another character... A lot of times, our music and a lot of things we like... are attached to the memories. It could be a song that Bird really liked because her parents liked it. If that's the case, then we're going to talk about this could be music from the 1920s, this could be music from the 1910s... Getting to see those pictures, and there were already things to reference music wise.
Hymns and Faith
Throughout my script I had tons of pictures of moments that made sense of every scene of the play. Little clips and pictures associated with the music, so that it gave me a feeling of what those scenes meant... Arminda had sent a list of things with lots of songs... I was listening to music and field recordings of children's hand games or working songs... People were still sharecroppers... Interviews of people talking about music and their faith.