Lori- Ann Speed at Pyatt Hall: An Afternoon of Timeless Sound and Reflection
By Keir Nicoll
In the dimly lit Pyatt Hall, Lori- Ann Speed's album release concert for Somewhere In Time became a journey into an intimate, almost sacred, musical space. The elegant wood baffling and stone walls created an immersive atmosphere, focusing all attention on the Steinway & Sons Grand Piano at center stage. The six strategically placed microphones, including four on the instrument, a room mic, and a vocal mic, signaled the seriousness of the sonic experience about to unfold.
When Lori- Ann Speed took the stage, she shared that Somewhere In Time had been in the making since 2017, with the instrumental version released on June 1, and the Deluxe Edition, complete with vocals and a bonus track, arriving on October 17. Her spoken words and music created a sound story for an internal journey, as she invited each of us to consider the human mystery, seeing ourselves as heroes and heroines in the quest to uncover life’s meaning.
The performance began with the birth of life itself in Webs We Weave, an intricate, contemplative piece with bright, jazz-infused classical influence. Speed’s fingers moved swiftly across the keys in chromatic runs, shifting from slow to quick tempos and back again, evoking the ebb and flow of existence and hinting at an outside vaudeville atmosphere.
Introducing the next piece as “Birthday,” Speed spoke of innocence, when the world was untouched by disappointment. In Dancing With The Mystery, gentle, rolling chords in the left hand were paired with brief trills in the right. It felt like a fleeting dance through the unknown, expressing the simple beauty of early life.
Speed’s contemplative tone deepened in The Unexpected Longing, where she touched on the sorrow of loss and the quiet moments of grief that come with life’s end. Broken chords, trills, and pauses in the right hand allowed each note to breathe, creating space for reflection. The piece was reminiscent of Chopin’s elegiac style, with a graceful lower register adding to its pensive character.
The theme of purpose was next, as she described life as a quest where each soul has something to fulfill. Opus, with its left-hand arpeggios and bluesy jazz 7th chords, conveyed a searching quality, reflecting the questions that shape our journeys. Unison chords and weighty bass structures lent the piece a layered, rippling energy, perfectly embodying the personal quest for meaning.
With A Delicate Balance, Speed evoked the moment of choosing a path in life, quoting Robert Frost on the road less traveled. The piece opened with delicate unison lines and resounding chords that rose and fell beautifully, filling the hall with Debussy-like left-hand textures and cascading right-hand runs. She played the entire length of the keyboard, her octaves and full chords ascending to the highest notes, adding a striking, sustained resonance to her performance.
Continuing with the notion of unfamiliar territory, Speed introduced Traversing the Unknown, describing it as a dreamlike venture through undiscovered places. As descending lines hinted at Sarah McLachlan’s “Possession,” Speed’s sheer, flowing attire shimmered in the stage lights. Minimalist refrains and gentle climaxes echoed Philip Glass, while whole-handed chords created a harmonic tapestry of consonance and dissonance that resonated deeply.
In the titular piece, Somewhere In Time, Speed brought forth a timeless beauty, likening it to an Impressionist painting with off-kilter chords reminiscent of Debussy’s “Clair de Lune.” Her lyrical flow and complex keywork conveyed life’s delicate and transient nature, her hands almost dancing across the keys.
Shifting the perspective outward to our world, Speed introduced Interstellar Journey, a piece with descending right-hand lines and ascending bass notes that painted the cosmos as small, precious, and boundless. Speed’s fast right-hand arpeggios created circular motions, evoking Duke Ellington’s dreamy style in “Nuages,” while her harmonies brought a celestial grace to the piece.
Soft Summer Nights captured the calm of life’s peaceful moments, with ascending runs and subtle left-hand chords reflecting nature’s serene beauty. This piece recalled Ellington’s softer jazz, setting a lovely scene of nightfall and tender tranquility.
In Power Unleashed, Speed spoke to life’s challenges and the resilience that builds strength. Plodding left-hand chords paired with right-hand arpeggios revealed a subtle, delicate power, while the piece’s gentle reverberations underscored an understated might.
Charge Of The Warrior Sage brought an almost fierce resolve, with rippling lower chords and intricate right-hand patterns. Speed’s chord progressions spanned the keyboard, emphasizing the duality of grace and power found in life’s struggles, bringing a depth and complexity to this climactic piece.
Her closing piece, Aria of Love, brought us to a pensive, lyrical conclusion, celebrating love as the ultimate source of life’s meaning. Light and ethereal, it encapsulated the warmth of love, a fitting and tender close to a journey that explored the peaks and valleys of the human experience.
Lori- Ann Speed’s performance blended classical elegance with jazz’s vibrant spirit, each piece artfully expressing emotion and narrative. Her intricate storytelling, combined with her technical prowess, made the concert a true afternoon of introspective beauty and artistry, offering a rare opportunity to reflect on life’s essence through the lens of music.