The album What Is Carried, What Is Left Behind? by Dale Cornelius examines the connection between memory, vulnerability and renewal through a series of modern classical pieces. It creates an evocative musical environment using string quartet compositions, synthesizers and found sounds, the personal experiences serving to contribute to the general narrative. Instead of viewing loss and hope as opposite concepts, the album looks at how both can be part of the same journey and thus allows room for reflection on the experiences that shape our lives.
‘Innocence’ presents the idea of fragility, which fits in with the album’s general examination of personal history; its position in the album strengthens the link between vulnerability and the memories that people carry with them. In contrast, ‘Under an Impersonal Sky There Is Hope’ offers a different point of view by setting the possibility of reassurance against a wider and indifferent background. These pieces as a whole help to show how individuals cope with uncertainty yet keep on seeking meaning and understanding.
“A Whispered Dawn (Spencer’s Lullaby)” has a special emotional value since it was composed during a tough time relating to the premature birth of Cornelius’ child. By including this piece, a link is made between an earlier experience and the album’s current reflections, thus giving the investigation of memory a highly personal character. Instead of showing the past as something distinct from the present, the piece illustrates how experiences can take on different meanings as the circumstances change and our perspective develops.
‘Bloom’ brings the album’s thoughts on the possibility of growth and renewal to a close.
The title matches the overall progression from vulnerability to hope and thus provides a suitable ending to an album that is concerned with the long-term impact of personal experiences. The title What Is Carried, What Is Left Behind? encourages listeners to think about which memories stay with them, how difficult experiences affect their understanding of themselves and whether renewal can arise out of uncertainty. Because of its reflective nature and the way the various themes are linked together, the album shows that personal history is something that keeps on changing rather than staying fixed in time.
SONGS ON ALBUM
1. In This Moment, What Matters Most?
2. What is Carried, What is Left Behind?
3. Innocence
4. A Whispered Dawn (Spencer’s Lullaby)
5. Under an Impersonal Sky There is Hope
6. Bloom
