I Felt a Funeral in My Brain

Emily Dickinson’s poem I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, is a haunting exploration of one’s internal dialogue of turmoil. In this setting for SSAA choir, the music traces each stage of Dickinson’s metaphorical funeral:

The Wake
The Service
The Procession
The Funeral Toll
The Burial

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The work opens in near silence: hushed, breathless speech and sparse body percussion evoking the realisation of recognition and denial. As the poem unfolds, the composer uses pointillistic techniques, short, repeated chords, stacking vocal textures and strong rhythmic gestures to take both the performer and audience on a journey into insanity.

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Dickinson’s writing often delves into questions of death, faith and consciousness. Though sceptical of institutional religion, her work brims with theological curiosity and existential dread. This piece seeks to honour that complexity — the dance between clarity and confusion, belief and breakdown, sound and silence.

— john frederick HUDSON
14 April 2025

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