For some time we’ve been taking note when composers submit works to the Making Waves curation pool that feature the voice, text, singing, speech. In September 2016 we compiled the Spoken Waves playlist; we’re delighted to revisit a similar theme exactly 1 year later with the present playlist, Vocal Waves.  As always, we try to find works that fit the theme as well as challenge it, so the works range from children’s choir to rhythmic use of speech in the context of a percussion ensemble, showcasing the breadth of possibilities for the human voice. With several multi-part works, we also really enjoy the gravitation to song-form, both through shorter-form and multi-movement works here.

SOUNDCLOUD

Hear something that catches your attention? To find out more about a musical work, click on the track name in the playlist and then again on ‘view track’. To find out more about a particular composer, click on their name in the ‘Details’ section below.

DETAILS

1. Andrew Batterham, The Coffee Song
   for SATB choir and piano. Performed by The Composer’s Choir, Daniel Shaw director – Connecticut, USA.
   
2. Fiona Hill, Spider
   for string quartet and electronics. Performed by Zephyr Quartet. Text by Granaz Moussavi.
   
3. Anne Cawrse, Parting Songs I. Not Weeks, Not Months
   
4. Anne Cawrse, Parting Songs II. The Ghost of our Final Days
   
5. Anne Cawrse, Partings Songs III. Departure
   
6. Anne Cawrse, Parting Songs IV. The Last Toast
   for soprano, tenor and piano. Performed by Robert Macfarlane: Tenor, Kate Macfarlane: Soprano, Jamie Cock: Piano.
   
7. Christina Green, Stone
   for baritone voice, trumpet in C, trombone, bass clarinet. Performed by Loadbang www.loadbang.com: Jeff Gavett: baritone, Andy Kozar: trumpet, Will Lang: trombone and Carlos Cordero: bass clarinet.
   
8. Jessica Lindsay Smith, He Hears Nothing
   for prepared drum kit with electronic track. Performed by Maddison Carter.
   
9. Andrew Aronowicz, Weird – Part 1
10. Andrew Aronowicz, Weird – Part 2
    for soprano and mixed ensemble. Poetry by Naomi Johnson. Performed by Belinda Dalton, conducted by Tianyi Lu.
    
11. Caerwen Martin, I sleep alone
    for soprano and string quartet. Performed by Deb Kayser: vocals, Zac Johnston & Naomi Durston: violins, Atilla Kuti: viola, Caerwen Martin Cello.
12. Hana Zreikat, Only a World Away
    for children’s choir. Performed by Blackburn Lake Primary School Choir at Montsalvat, April 2013.

YOUTUBE

1. Thomas Green, The Black Sun and The Blue Moon
   for voice, violin, clarinet and piano. Performed by Astrid Connelly (voice) with Plexus – Monica Curro (violin); Philip Arkinstall (clarinet); Stefan Cassomenos (piano).  A song from Nervous, an exhibition by sculptor Heather B Swann. Presented at the National Gallery of Australia in August-November 2016. Lyrics by Heather B Swann.
   
2. Wally Gunn, Vicious Children
   for percussion quartet. Performed by Mobius Percussion: David Degge, Mika Godbole, Yumi Tamashiro, Frank Tyl.
   An Evan Chapman Film. Copyright © 2014 Wally Gunn, Mobius Percussion, and Evan Chapman.
   

We’d love to hear about your listening experience! Share your thoughts or send messages of support to our featured composers and performers in the comment box below. We also encourage you to click through to Soundcloud or YouTube to like, comment and subscribe to Making Waves as well as the composers, performers, and presenters featured.

The Vocal Waves playlist will be featured until 1 October 2017. All previous playlists from 2015 to present are available in our blog archives for the life of the project, so please do explore the website for previously featured sounds.