In Memoriam: Jocelyn Morlock (1969-2023)
Victoria Symphony mourns the loss of composer Jocelyn Morlock. Her music was loved by the orchestra and audience in all its breadth, from playfulness to serenity and ecstasy. When I think of her orchestral music, my mind’s ear is flooded by the evocation of bird song and stillness (Solace), a profound understanding of Baroque music transformed into personal language that is unmistakably Morlock (Nostalgia), and especially of the sensuality of 2 solo cellos entwined like lovers in music of such mastery and mystery the only precedents that come to mind are the vocal ensembles of WA Mozart and Richard Strauss (Aeromancy).
When Jocelyn spoke to Victoria Symphony audiences, she radiated wit, joy, intelligence, and love. All who were touched by her music and personality, even briefly, knew they were in the presence of something and someone extraordinary, unique. We will miss her.
— Rodney Sharman, Composer-Mentor in Residence, Victoria Symphony
UPbeat: Morlock, Earthfall
Upbeat was a virtual series that started in 2020 to showcase performances from the archive of the Victoria Symphony. In this edition, Robert Fraser (VS Bass Trombone) interviews Jocelyn Morlock about her 2015 composition, Earthfall.
Performed by the VS on April 7, 2018 at the Alix Goolden Performance Hall (Victoria Conservatory of Music).
“Recently I’ve been experimenting with large-scale mosaic textures in my orchestral writing. In Earthfall, I have tried using them as both a source of momentum, and of stability. This insidiously pulsing, slightly creepy piece originates in cumulative textures built up from relatively simple, metrically stable materials. Later the textures become more gnarled, registrally extreme, and rhythmically complex, wreaking vociferous havoc on the stable structures that were first created. After some tense moments, Earthfall ultimately settles itself, and steals off to a relatively peaceful conclusion.” — Jocelyn Morlock
