Chorus
"I was incredibly struck by this word, its connotation, its diversity of approaches. Given the familiarity it keeps with what I do, its importance in writing, I wanted to make it my object of study today".
The chorus is a redundant lyrical composition that summarizes the general meaning of a song, condensing it into just a few lines. It is a powerful structure, usually repeated at the end of each stanza. Decisive phrases, which can propel, in such a way, the promotional single of an experimental group, until it becomes a mass consumption success for the music industry. Repetitively throughout a song, this segment can achieve an enveloping effect that seeks to fix the subject of vogue in the receiving mind.
Achieving that the musical taste is modified instantly and tend to turn the phrase trite into something favorite. Thanks to an understandable cadence, to the use of trivial expressions associated with common feeling. Topics such as: love and lack of love, beauty or happiness, cold or heat, common sensations that cause pleasure and adventure, joy or euphoria. Versatile lines that somehow remove suffering or bad vibrations, giving way to freedom and ecstasy. These suggestive circles of words are easily assimilated by the mass, which then ends up repeating them addictively, singing them in chorus.
However, the chorus is an efusive arrangement, worthy of study for its brilliant character and remarkable authenticity. To which much is owed in the framework of universal musical and poetic compositions. Having historical antecedents that go back, between the XV and XVIII centuries, from which derive important lyrical structures that precede many of those known today; Christmas carols, romance lyrics, folk songs, Gregorian chants, in general, most of the known literary achievements are provided with some structural form of chorus.
Even so, however, it is sometimes the case that it is also a symptom that denotes the lack of empirical richness for the creation of arguments. Another of its connotations refers to the repetitive and excessive element that saturates a speech trying to hide inconsistencies; as the scarce presence of grammar resources that manage to convince and create impact. Resorting to the simplicity of honeyed phrases that basically only try to save a certain context. However, I would be unable to underestimate the value of the chorus and its importance. I think it will depend on the passion that has been put into it and the categorical level that may result from its evaluation.
With a mainly commercial intention, cases have been known, where plagiarism and forging of documents, anticipate the launching of a certain composition, ripping it from the hands of the original author and hastily taking them to the rooms of a notary's office to register in the name of some vile identity usurper. At the end of the day, everything that is written is free will, subject to contextual coincidences, plot incidence or semantic similes. The real owner of a work will be the one who first cancels the patent in the offices of a notary or art academy. This implies, by default, that not even the most astute paraphrase or sequence of basics, that a writer can come up with, will become truly treasured, in the meantime, do not go before the law to make a proper record of rights of Author.
"It doesn't matter who created the chorus, but how uniquely it is embodied in human sentiment... At the end of the day, they are all designed for the same thing; create popularity."
Going back to the point!; The chorus seeks popularity, yes, that's right! It is oriented to the majority acceptance of the whole. But, I would say that everything depends on the glass you look at. Convinced that it is something even deeper, now I want to investigate its true purpose and its power of persuasion. There are composers both in the musical guild and poetry, who are dedicated to the study of such a structure, as if it were, -And let me venture into the following conjecture! - ; a kind of "art engineering", a meticulous treatment and search for the element chorus, on which the success or failure of your project will depend.
One of the explanations about the chorus, which was quite forthcoming and convincing for me. It refers to the one that I read some time ago, among the records of a renowned writer, influential, precursor teacher of the short story.
I mean, Edgar Allan Poe's text: "Composition method". In which he alludes to explain how his initiative and detailed study were, of an implacable model that allowed him to bring to light, successfully, what was his most recent creation at that time. His most renowned poem, which consolidated him as a writer, propelling him to the laurels of fame at the beginning of his career in the year eighteen hundred and forty-five. The literary achievement, to which I refer is his poem: "The Crow".
For that occasion the author, Edgar Allan Poe, achieved the singular contentive refrain of a single word: "Nevermore", with which he managed to bristle the hearts of many readers. "Nevermore"; characteristic chorus that is still repeated today with mystery and sagacity in movies, series, radio programs and TV, where they make allusion.
Next, I quote some relevant points from Edgar Allan Poe's "Composition method". Which will be my object of study in the next part:
(Extract, Composition method)
"...I reveal here the modus operandi with which I managed to build one of my works. I choose The Raven for this because it is the best known of all. My purpose is to show that no point in the composition can be attributed to intuition or chance; and that it advanced towards its completion, step by step, with the same exactitude and rigorous logic typical of a mathematical problem... the intention was born to write such a poem that would satisfy both popular taste and critical taste..." src
My personal appreciation:
Personally!, it would be really difficult for me to even try to reveal where my texts come from. While the chorus may be seen by some as a kind of matrix calculation or research formula. For others, as is my case; The chorus, I see it coming condensed into a form of halo, ascending, dancing around me, emerged as my study of lyrics progresses and I continue a sequence of bastion, the result of the deepest inspirational feeling. Which is a part of me that comes off and falls... which is, itself, poetry...
(Extract, Composition method)
"...Reflecting carefully on all known art effects or, more properly, on all means of effect -understanding this term in its scenic sense -, it could not escape me that none had been used as frequently as the chorus... As usual is used, the chorus is not only limited to lyrical compositions, but the strength of the impression it must make depends on the vigor of the monotony in the sound and in the idea. Pleasure is only achieved through the feeling of identity or repetition..." src
My personal appreciation:
Finally, I conclude!, according to my own personal opinion forged based on the aforementioned; The predominance of the chorus in the argument and its use as a literary resource bulwark, transcends the search for simple popularity and notoriety. It is rather!, a technical-linguistic aspect, which resorts to the use of devices of sonority, meter, emphasis, vowel prolongation, brilliance, semantics; that can generate diversity of criteria and satisfaction in the tastes of the reader. Likewise, it must add a quota of personal satisfaction to the writer, who leaves all his feeling rooted in the sentence, acquires knowledge, delights in the vertigo that comes from being before the unknown and finally, it is who truly discovers the reason, who it see manifest. It is who has the direct encounter with the chorus and its incalculable literary power...
@nachomolina