The Past, present, and future in John Greer's The Red red heart

Abstract

A psychological narrative from nostalgia to optimism binds the songs in John Greer’s cycle The Red Red Heart together. In the first two songs, images of the present are viewed with fear, discomfort, and confusion while images of the past are viewed with optimistic nostalgia and longing. In the middle of the cycle, the character’s emotional responses are reversed, the past now being viewed with negativity and despair, while the present is seen as exciting, joyous, and optimistic. In the final song of the cycle, the character’s growth culminates in her cautious hope for the future. The musical setting of the character’s changing opinions and feelings towards her past, present, and future will be examined from the perspectives of tonality, climax points, formal structure, melody, expression, rhythm, and accompaniment.