Lim Kang Ning (b. 1994)
Memories of a daffodil… for solo violin
I composed Memories of a daffodil... when the seasons started changing from winter to spring in London. One of the first signs of change was the burgeoning of daffodils in parks and seeing those fresh blooms being sold in supermarkets. There was nothing quite like the brightest shade of yellow that reminded you of the sun, that heralded better weather and that longer days were ahead of us.
Daffodils are usually planted in September. They spend several months developing roots before bursting forth with flowers between February and May. This piece reflects that, as the music is divided into three sections. It begins from the planting of the daffodil, grounding and starting the piece with the lowest note on the violin. The daffodil then anticipates its growth and imagines the wonderful possibilities through lyrical melodies, before going dormant during the winter months. The frigid weather is expressed through a sparse musical texture, with the violin going up to a higher register and using techniques like plucked strings and harmonics to create a cold sound world. In the final section, the time has come for the daffodil to shine and it bursts forth with increasing speed and rapid arppeggiation to signal the blossoming of flowers.
Memories of a daffodil… was premiered by violinist Joey Lau at Kris Foundation’s “RIPPLES” on 23 August 2023 at the Esplanade Recital Studio.