if it were not so

As a Filipino-Canadian raised in Vancouver B.C. I've always thought of my heritage as
a part of me that wasn't entirely clear. Both my immigrant parents have raised me with
Filipino values and morals, and I've understood our family culture through my numerous
relatives. But the rich culture, history and character of the Philippines was something that
I've always wanted to know more of, especially in the case of Filipino music.
 

I've known Kundiman songs for a long time as the Classical Art Song of the
Philippines. This, backed with the curiosity of why singing and music is such a deeply
rooted part of the Filipino identity, sparked the inspiration behind this piece. I began
studying its 2-part structure, large leaps and lengthy held high notes of the melody,
dramatic chord progressions of the harmony and the relationship between poetry set to
music. The Kundiman genre is typically a love song, with a singer longing for their loved
one to forgive, or look kindly upon, then serenade with a sweet melody.
 

This piece however is not an attempt to assimilate or imitate the Kundiman genre.
Instead, this piece is an exploration into my heritage by adapting my musical identity into
this well established genre. I've expanded the structure into an introduction, dark-brooding
section, and love song section. The use of trills and tremolos to create texture, long sighs
with glissandi to evoke song-like nature, flowing runs and large leaps to build harmonies, all
while utilizing the Bassoon's distinct timbre through range and dynamics to induce various
emotions.
 

'Kundiman' comes from the Tagalog phrase "kung hindi man", which roughly translates
to 'If it were not so'.