The Cerulean Festival

The Cerulean Festival is a form of music used for entertainment originating in The Nation of Meeting. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. A singer recites any composition of The Glittery Larks while the music is played on a toxuth. The music is melody and rhythm without harmony. The melody has short phrases throughout the form. It is performed using the nek scale and in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, performers are to alternate tension and repose, modulate frequently and play staccato.

• The singer always does the main melody.
• The toxuth always provides the rhythm.
• The Cerulean Festival has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction, a first theme, an exposition of the first theme, a lengthy second theme, a brief exposition of the second theme and a lengthy synthesis of previous passages.
• The introduction is moderately paced, and it is to be very loud. The singer's voice covers its entire range. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals.
• The first theme is extremely fast, and it is to be very loud. The singer's voice ranges from the middle register to the high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
• The first exposition is at a free tempo, and it is to be very loud. The singer's voice ranges from the middle register to the high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
• The second theme gradually slows as it comes to an end, and it is to be very loud. The singer's voice covers its entire range. This passage features only melodic tones and intervals.
• The second exposition is very slow, and it is to fade into silence. The singer's voice ranges from the low register to the middle register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
• The synthesis accelerates as it proceeds, and it is to be loud. The singer's voice stays in the high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
• Scales are constructed from twelve notes spaced evenly throughout the octave. The tonic note is a fixed tone passed from teacher to student. Preferred notes in the fundamental scale are named. The names are ani (spoken an, 5th), shato (sha, 11th) and almef (al, 12th).
• The nek pentatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 3rd, the 5th, the 7th and the 8th.

Events