Discovering James Cleghorn with Sarah Cahill

This afternoon Old First Concerts began the New Year with a solo piano recital by Sarah Cahill. I have discovered that just about any performance by Cahill involves a journey of discovery to some extent or another. In this case that extent was, to say the least, extensive, as she had prepared a program of about one hour’s duration devoted entirely to composer James Cleghorn.

Cleghorn spent 25 years of his life as music librarian for the San Francisco Public Library (presumably the Main Branch). He was a leading figure in building up a collection of musical scores, recordings, and books about music. However, when he was not working as a librarian, he pursued his efforts as a composer. One of his contemporary influences was Lou Harrison, with whom he studied for a while. Cleghorn also introduced Harrison to Henry Cowell, having suggested that Harrison attend classes that Cowell was teaching at San Francisco State University.

Sarah Cahill playing the music of James Cleghorn (screen shot from the performance being discussed)

Many of Cahill’s selections bore the title “Cyclus” followed by a number. The first of the pieces that Cahill played was the ninth in this series, which was Cleghorn’s take on a prelude and fugue. However, only one other of the “Cyclus” pieces that she played had any sort of subtitle. That was “Cyclus 18 (for clavichord, heavenly meeting of ED and EM).” Cahill reflected that “ED” may have been Emily Dickinson, but she was not sure about “EM!” Towards the end of the program, she played Cleghorn’s “Sonatina in Memory of Bartók.”

The risk in undertaking a journey of discovery is that it may go on for too long. While I could appreciate some level of diversity across the dozen or so pieces that Cahill offered, there tended to be a sameness in the overall rhetoric. Nevertheless, was much to discover in Cahill’s selections; but mind can only accommodate so much discovery in a “single dose.” Personally, I would have preferred an interjection or two by Harrison or Cowell, simply to provide some sense of context for Cleghorn’s own efforts. Nevertheless, I try not to intrude on Cahill’s own way of doing things, since, as an old joke goes, it would be too much like adding another window to the Taj Mahal!