for vocal ensemble (soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone, bass)
sirens
2018
Sirens is written for five voices and five cassette recorders, performed by Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart. The piece uses the opening poem of the 11th chapter of Ulysses by James Joyce in full. The beginning of the chapter includes neologisms, sound imitations, and musical allusions. One line, “Trilling, trilling: Idolores,” references the 1901 song In the Shade of the Palm from the musical Florodora by Leslie Stuart (“Oh, my Dolores…”). This became the starting point for the musical material — not quoted, but used as a kind of internal guide.
description
/concept
The five singers move between speech, singing, whispering, strong vibrato, diaphragm-led accents, exhaling and inhaling both with and without pitch. At times the texture becomes dense, and the text, though clearly written, disappears into the surrounding material.
Each singer also handles a cassette recorder on stage. The mezzo and baritone press the record button at the beginning, letting the tape document the piece in real time. Later, they rewind and sing with their earlier selves. These duets are never aligned — there’s no way to predict the exact position. The soprano, tenor, and bass each have pre-recorded Joyce tapes, which they switch on and off throughout the piece. The sounds of the machines — clicks, hiss, rewinds — are part of the composition.
Each singer also handles a cassette recorder on stage. The mezzo and baritone press the record button at the beginning, letting the tape document the piece in real time. Later, they rewind and sing with their earlier selves. These duets are never aligned — there’s no way to predict the exact position. The soprano, tenor, and bass each have pre-recorded Joyce tapes, which they switch on and off throughout the piece. The sounds of the machines — clicks, hiss, rewinds — are part of the composition.
Toward the end of the writing process, small magnets were added near the tape heads. The field distortion creates ghost tones — accidental singing that merges with the voices around it.
Toward the end of the writing process, small magnets were added near the tape heads. The field distortion creates ghost tones — accidental singing that merges with the voices around it.
listen
/player
Russia
Score
/preview
