‘Awning’ is a modern classical composition by American musician and film composer John W. Snyder, released August 2021. The piece is both fresh and sentimental; sonically dominated by Megan Shung’s solo violin and layers of backup chamber strings by The Sofia Session Orchestra.
Last week the accompanying video for the composition, created by Egyptian director Claude Morcos, was finally released. The video follows Megan Shung around in different settings, reflecting the movement of the classical piece. It starts out in an intimate indoor concert setting, and as the composition opens up and more layers are added, as does the video. It goes from the indoor setting to different outdoor settings, one in a cave by the ocean and one in the midst of a canyon.
The soundesign and mix of the video is timely and tight. The recorded track combines with the ambience of the surrounding terrain. When Shung steps out into the cave by the sea, you hear the sounds of the ocean waves mixing up with the track. By the time the piece really opens up and the whole sonic space is filled with layers of chamber strings, Shung again changes location and is seen in a vast open terrain surrounded by mountains.
In the end of the video, when the composition once again turns down, and returns to the single sound of Shung’s solo violin, the video also returns to the small indoor concert setting. In this fashion Claude Morcos makes effective use of the classical “voyage and return” plot structure.
Listen to the track and see the video below
