Music Composition : “Songkhla Overture” for Philharmonic Orchestra

Abstract

This creative research aims to compose a musical piece titled “Songkhla City Overture” for a philharmonic orchestra, inspired by the three diverse cultural heritages of Songkhla: Thai-Buddhist, Thai-Muslim, and Chinese ritual music. The composition narrates the city's historical evolution and transitions. The research involves studying the concepts of "Overture" within Thai, Western, and local musical contexts, as well as music composition theories. These elements serve as the conceptual framework for defining the formal structure, rhythm, melody, harmony, and orchestration. The results of the composition show that the piece is structured as a concert overture with a duration of approximately 6 minutes, divided into three main movements: 1) The Origin of Khao Daeng: Comprising five sections, including Intro I, modal preparation, modal establishment, principal theme, and codetta. 2) City in Transition: Comprising three sections, including Intro II, thematic development from the first movement, and modulation. 3) Songkhla: The City of Legends: Comprising four sections, involving thematic development of the third movement, recapitulation, return to the tonic key, and finale. The composition employs two primary concepts: chronological historical representation and the integration of folk music as core musical elements. The work utilizes seven distinct rhythmic and melodic motifs, including Ching and Khong Khu patterns, Thap and Klong Tuk rhythms, and melodies from Hua Pi Nora, Sod Soy Nora, Lagu Dua, and Dragon Blessing. These motifs are developed through techniques such as augmentation, diminution, variation, imitation, and inversion. The piece utilizes both pentatonic and diatonic scales across three key signatures: D Major, A Minor, and C Major, featuring musical textures and colors ranging from homophony and polyphony to homorhythm.