Named after the 15 psalms sung by pilgrims as they ascended during their journey, Songs of Ascension is a site-specific piece composed for an eight-storey, double-helix spiral-staircase tower created by artist Ann Hamilton.
Best known for her groundbreaking vocal compositions, Meredith Monk here employs a huge choral complement accompanied by a small ensemble of portable instruments. It's an innovative, provocative but enjoyable work, exploring the relations between voices and instruments: in "Falling", strings and voices ape each others' swooping glissandi; in "Burn", repetitive staccato string stabs cycle while the vocals resolve into close microtonal harmonic clusters. Tremendous stuff.
DOWNLOAD THIS Cloud Code; Falling; Burn; Respite; Ascent
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies