Voice ++ a festival of voices for 06
Voice ++ a festival of voices for 06
May 7 - 15, 2006
Paul Dutton (Toronto), Anne Bourne (Toronto), Wende Bartley (Toronto), Cathy Lewis (Victoria), Kate van Doorn (Victoria), Hexaphone (Victoria), Christopher Butterfield (Victoria), Tina Pearson (Victoria), DB Boyko (Vancouver), Kazuyuki Kishino ‘KK Null’ (Japan), Marino Pliakas (Switzerland), Michael Wertmüller (Switzerland)
Concerts May 12 – 15 at 8pm at Open Space 510 Fort Street, $8/$10
Workshops May 7 – 14, call for times, Free
Contact 383-8833 for information
Open Space’s second annual Voice ++ Festival exposes the depths and edges of singing, speaking, chanting and vocalizing. National and international sound artists join local practitioners in performances, collaborations and workshops that explore relationships between people, places, cultures and technologies, as illuminated through the human voice.
Voice ++ offers 4 intriguing concert performances, 3 voice workshops, and an opportunity to join in the creation and performance of Earth-Echo, a voice piece by visiting Toronto composer Wende Bartley commissioned by CFUV 101.9 FM community/campus radio.
The concerts begin Friday evening May 12 with solo sets by two improvising artists from Toronto: renowned veteran Canadian sound poet Paul Dutton, who vigorously blurs the line between music and poetry, and cellist/vocalist Anne Bourne, whom CODA has named “an earthy unrestrained musical force”. Dutton, who exposes “nothing less than a blueprint for the musical possibilities of the human voice” (Twisted Village) has honed his “howls, growls, grunts, guffaws, spits, scats, screams, screeches, and squeaks” as a member of the Four Horsemen and the CCMC improvising ensemble that includes Michael Snow, Casey Sokol and John Oswald. Anne Bourne is known for her collaborations with Jane Sibbery, John Oswald, Fred Frith and Loreena McKennitt as well as for her award-winning ethereal composition work with dance and film.
Saturday evening, May 13, showcases the compelling work of Toronto electroacoustic composer Wende Bartley, whose widely varied skills in state-of-the-art digital audio technologies informs her exploration of the connection between voice, breath, the inner spirit of a person and nature. Descending Wild explores the Russian myth of Baba Yaga augmented with live electroacoustics and extended instrumental sounds. The work features local vocalists Cathy Lewis and Kate Van Doorn, with cellist Anne Bourne and flutist Tina Pearson providing an accompanying acoustic sound world. Bartley will also present Earth-Echo, a piece she will create with community members during the week before the concert. Cathy Lewis will begin the evening with a presentation three diverse works: Luciano Berio’s Sequenza, John Oswald’s Wounded and Victoria composer Rudolph Komorous’s Cold Mountain Songs.
Sunday evening, May 14, offers a selection of Dadaist artist Kurt Schwitters’ collages for solo voice, and compositions for vocal ensemble by three Canadian composers. Local composer Christopher Butterfield offers his stunning performance of the seminal Schwitters piece Ursonate, while DB Boyko presents three shorter Schwitters works. DB Boyko (Vancouver) is known for sounds that “range from gurgling water to raucous laughter, and from poetry to abstract evocative sounds …” (Georgia Straight). Boyko also brings selections from the Songbird Oratoria, including works by Veda Hille and Takeo Yamashiro to the festival and an accapella version of the Indonesian-influenced Bones, by Vancouver composer Michael O’Neill. With momentum from their successful concert at the Centre of the Universe, local vocal sextet Hexaphone brings their refined sonorities to Open Space to conclude the evening with compositions by Linda C Smith and Jean Coulthard and the premier of a new work by Victoria composer Nicholas Fairbank.
On Monday evening, May 15, Kazuyuki Kishino (KK Null) will present his scattered pitched sculptures of "Cosmic Noise Minimalism" together with bassist Marino Pliakis and drummer / composer Michael Wertmüller. KK Null, electronic wizard and mastermind of Zeni Geva, is one of the great cult artists in experimental music since the early 80's. Both Marino Pliakas and Michael Wertmüller are familiar to Victoria, having appeared last year with Peter Brotzman. Both have toured the world with their various bands, Steamboat Switzerland, Sludge, and Die Firma and with countless soloists from John Cale to Phil Minton. In a wild mix of high-energy improvisation, this trio will frame the unique voicing of Kazuyuki K Null.
Voice ++ FREE Workshops and Community Participation
Sunday May 7, 1-4 pm Wende Bartley will lead Sound Voice, a workshop for anyone interested in deepening their connection with the power of their own voice through an introduction to the emerging field of sound healing. No experience necessary.
Monday May 8 – Thursday May 11, 5 – 7 pm, Earth-Echo creation: Curious souls can add their own voices to the mix by joining visiting composer Wende Bartley in creating Earth-Echo, a made in Victoria vocal piece especially for the festival to be performed Saturday, May 13. No experience necessary.
Saturday, May 13, 2 – 3 pm, Paul Dutton presents Sound poetry and Soundsinging Workshop Performance: A close-up on the voice, illustrating the identical character of speech and music, and the basis in everyday speech of aural sound art and extreme vocal effects, with open discussion of technical, esthetic, and any other aspects. There will be an opportunity for the adventurous to try their voice at some basic techniques. No experience necessary.
Sunday, May 14, 2 – 3 pm, DB Boyko presents How Does Your Voice Sound?. Plant your feet, loosen your lips and let it out! Explore breathing, resonance, toning, sound making, listening, laughing and singing. DB Boyko's experiences as an improviser, composer and dancer havecontributed to her unique approach to the voice No experience necessary.