What can classical vocal music become when it emerges from within us, rather than ‘choral tradition’? Meredith Monk’s work shows us the transportive qualities of the most universal and ancient instrument – the voice – when it is free to roam and allowed to perform.

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Key works

Meredith Monk - Book of Days, Impermanence, Atlas (1988-2008)

Radiohead (arr. Lawson) - Pyramid Song (2021)

Ēriks Ešenvalds – Stars (2015)

 

Performance notes​

Over the course of her multi-disciplinary career as a performance artist, vocalist, composer, film-maker and choreographer, Meredith Monk (born 1942) has carved a unique path, pushing the boundaries of vocal expression and experimentation. Based in the USA, she is not as well-known as she should be in the UK. Indeed, many of the works in this programme have been newly released by UK publishers as a result of requests from The Working Consort.

 

Monk’s work is deeply rooted in her fascination with the human voice and its potential for artistic expression. Her compositions are a celebration of the human voice’s extraordinary versatility, grounded in the idea that it can evoke feelings we don’t have words for and connect us with the deepest human energy. In doing so, Monk has constructed a musical world that is both otherworldly and profoundly human; transcendent and intimate. Poignant melodies, ethereal melodic scales, and a deep sense of spirituality colour many of her compositions, seamlessly blending traditional singing with other vocal techniques outside the classical canon, bridging the ancient and the avant-garde.

 

We bring a selection of her works together with other contemporary classical / cross-over music similarly capable of exploring the range of human sound, and supported by immersive performance techniques and movement.

 

Run time - approximately 1hr