Natural Perfume, Music and Embroidery this Trinity weave through my life. They support and give each other inspiration. It is my lifes work and profession. I think about Natural Perfume everyday. It is my reason d'etre. It brings joy, fulfills my soul. Creating beautiful perfumes from flowers, fruits and resins is superlunary. I am besotted, obsessed, deeply in love.

Saturday 27 October 2007

music chords, perfume accords and memory

Music and Perfume.....so different and at the same time in union with one another.

Musical notes ie notes in a chord. C, E G , first, third or 5th notes for example...or in Piesse associated odour could be from the lowest base note of the musical scale and corresponding resinous note of Patchouli, moving to lowest of the treble notes and corresponding floral notes of Acacia and orange flower.

Moving up the treble scale on the staves of a musical manuscript we look to Piesse too associate botanicals of Camphor, Portugal and Syringa, ... Jasmin, Cedrat and Magnolia, Pineapple and Verbena.... on the bass clef including patchouli again, then Wallflower and Frangipani, Santal, Calamus and Pergaloria, Geranium, Orris and Sweetpea. Rose which is higher on the base scale... relates to other perfume terminology of middle middle to base middle to top etc.... all examples here are associated with the simple 3 note chord and associated aromatic 3 notes surrounding C, E & G according to Piesse. These will change according to the notes used and corresponding floral notes.... in any chord/accord.

These notes also can be interchanged to create different intensities.... higher and lower resonences of the same chord with music or accords with botanicals by changing positions of the notes/botanicals on the stave.

Sometimes in music the lyric gives the listener an opportunity to relate to the music on a deeper sub-conscious level.... ie personally relate to it by an experience for which the music and lyric brings up memory and emotion.....

While perfume when inhaling the aroma ... if memory recognises the odour, will transport recognition of time, space and personal emotion.

Saturday 20 October 2007

House Martin



The room is redolent with beautiful floral bouquets. The perfume welcomes you as you enter. Julias room is 'house martin' and looks out onto freshly furrowed fields and hills beyond. There is a little balcony with a wooden seat, again full of flowers in vases and a bird feeder where the birds of sparrow and blue tit come to feed and all can be seen from Julias bed. In late afternoon the sunlight pours in filling the room with light. It is serene and calm.

From the outset Julia wanted no fuss, but just to get on with it accepting it as bad luck and part of life. No tears but to carry on (if that was possible) In front of her we maintain normality talking and joking and shed our tears in private. Just 45 and within 6 weeks, cancer of the liver, pulmonary artery, spine, bones, and now the brain is taking our beautiful, intelligent , witty, funny lovely Julia away from us. She is my daughters much loved Aunt , Headmistress of a prestigious Elementary School in Eastnor Herefordshire and loved by all who know her.

She is slowly slipping away . At St Michaels Hospice in Hereford she is so tenderly taken care of. The bouquets of flowers have poured in from the schools she has worked with, Governors, old school friends and people who hardly knew her. It is very touching. Every day brings fresh bouquets. Five one day and on and on the flowers and cards come

I sat with her yesterday. On the CD player I put on piano music, English Suites by Bach played by Murray Perahia and Grieg Lyric pieces which is calming and beautiful. A foot and hand massage with some rose lotion and drinks of milk, juice and water whenever she needs it. ....tenderly applied with a straw to her lips. The pain relief administered is effective .........the professional staff there are very very special. The environment is caring, considerate and nothing is too much trouble. Many are volunteers.

Julia said to me yesterday ' I am going to have to go.... this is all I am going to say' Today she spoke to her sister and said 'it won't be long'..... Helen says she is calm and serene and drifts in and out of consciousness.

This will be my only post.

Julia Frances Morris November 5 1962 - October 22 2007