Volume 21 Issue 9 - Summer 2016

gets under your skin and moves
you, and you don’t really know why
or what it means or what it’s doing
to you, the images are functioning
in very much the same way.” He
continued to reflect on this topic
by saying “I find it odd given what’s
happening on the planet that
there hasn’t been a body of work
with this theme from a more art
perspective rather than it just being
about political activism.”
And that’s why using song is
so important for both of these
Rose Bolton
creators. They think of the piece as
“a heartbreak song in the same way
that songs are about heartbreak. This is about our heartbreak because
of what we do to the earth, to the planet.” Their ultimate priority is
to make a work that is emotionally powerful, to lead people into an
experience of “feeling what we are doing to the earth.” In fact, de
Guerre says, “If I don’t feel anything when I experience a work of art,
then I don’t consider it to be successful.” Thus the nature of the piece
is a poetic, impressionistic and non-literal approach to the theme,
with the film images conceived around the music.
Bolton’s approach to song was to create melodies that people would
love to sing and love to hear – melodies that would “stick in people’s
heads after the performance.” For inspiration, she first turned to the
songs of Robert Burns and his way of writing that asks universal questions.
The next step was to ask the Order of Canada-appointed poet
Don McKay to become involved. She asked him if he could write in a
similar way, creating texts that addressed her questions related to the
theme of extinction. The Newfoundland-based McKay is a poet whose
strong personal connection to the land infuses his work, creating
poetry that both Bolton and de Guerre described as “grounding.” His
way of using precise language to create images that are sweeping and
allegorical in nature was a perfect fit, and with these texts, Bolton was
able to take their essence and turn them into lyrics for the songs. The
texts will also be published as a book of poems that will be available at
the concert.
The songs will be performed by both the VIVA! Youth Singers of
Toronto and Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, with the adults representing
the current generation and the children the generation of the future.
Both choirs will be engaged in conversations between the present
and the future. The keyboard players will also perform on the harpsichord
as well as electronic keyboards, with the composer performing
the electronics on her laptop as well as triggering the spatial movement
of the sound amongst the multiple speaker sound system. The
electronics are more ambient in nature, like a wash, and will include
live processing of the instrumental sounds with simple delay effects.
The overall arc of the piece begins with an air of innocence in the first
half, with almost a feeling of reverence towards nature and nonhuman
species. Then at a pivotal point, things take a turn for a more solemn
and desperate view towards our world and the reality of extinction.
Song of Extinction promises to be a powerful and evocative meditation
on those realities that are often difficult to cope with. No doubt
however, we as audience members respond, we will be left with more
stirring questions than solid answers.
One of the other boundary-pushing musical events of Luminato
is the return of Unsound Toronto, a two-night sonic playground on
June 10 and 11 combining ambient, drone, noise and other forms of
experimental soundmaking. As well, a giant listening party is being
planned on June 16 for all those who want to experience the recording
of last year’s Apocalypsis performance composed by R. Murray
Schafer and performed by a cast of 1000 or more.
Parallel to these events at the festival is the concert celebrating 40
years at the Music Gallery on June 11. Combining new music, video,
performance and site-specific installation works, the evening promises
to be a sonic portrayal of past, present and future. Starting
the evening off will be a performative walking tour of St. George
the Martyr’s courtyard highlighting oral histories, followed by
performances with Mridangam
master drummer Trichy Sankaran,
Tenderness (aka Chrissy Reichert)
alongside dancer Allison
Peacock, and turntable artist
SlowPitchSound (Cheldon Paterson)
who will mine the Gallery’s sound
archives to create new visions
out of past performances. And
while on the topic of summertime
wild and untamed sound
events, I must mention the Electric
Eclectics festival that takes place
from July 29 to 31 in the countryside
near Meaford. Directed by Gordon
Monahan and Chris Worden, the
festival combines experimental music, sound art, DJ artists and sound
installations in a relaxed camping environment. Check out their
website for the extensive lineup, which includes two noteworthy duos:
Not the Wind, Not the Flag, and the duo of Jennifer Castle and Mary
Margaret O’Hara.
The Rest of the Summer: Here are my listings of what else to look
out for during the hazy and hot months ahead.
JUNE
One highlight early in the month is Spectrum Music’s Tower of
Babel concert on June 4 with new compositions evoking various interpretations
of this iconic story which appears in Christian, Islamic and
Jewish religious texts. The pieces will explore the question of whether
this ancient story can shed any light on contemporary divisons
amongst nations and religious groups. Globally acclaimed oud player,
Amos Hoffman, will be one of the performers. For improvised music
lovers, there is DroneDoctor, a drone music meditation concert on
June 5; the CCMC performing at Gallery 345 on June 11; and Audio
Pollination on June 25.
TWO EXCITING NEW RELEASES!
Allison Cameron
Contact
A Gossamer Bit
A reimagining reimagning of a
Brian Eno classic
Discreet Music
“a mesmerizing
journey”
John Diliberto
– Echoes
Available on iTunes, Bandcamp and selected retailers
“radiantly lovely”
Julian Cowley
– The Wire
contactcontemporarymusic.org
allisoncameronmusic.blogspot.com
cantaloupemusic.com
redshiftrecords.org
KAREN ABEL
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