AD 1136
In 1136, work began on the building of Glasgow Cathedral. In the same year, Hildegard von Bingen was elected to lead her convent in South West Germany. Hildegard is one of the best-known composers of her era, but music was only a part of her amazing life. She was a “visionary, mystic, healer, linguist, poet, artist, musician, playwright, biographer, theologian, preacher and spiritual counsellor” (Priscilla Throop) and has been described as the founder of scientific natural history in Germany.
AD 1136 is a concert work for voice and live electronics composed by Alistair MacDonald. In this piece, a soundscape forged from the sound of Glasgow Cathedral’s great bell is interwoven with Hildegard’s writings on gemstones and healing, a letter to a Benedictine monk, her visions, and two of her antiphons, in a series of kaleidoscopic, multi-channel illusions. In the performance of this work, 10 speakers are placed around the audience, resulting in sounds of live electronics and vocals surrounding the audience and illuminating the space.
AD 1136 is a concert work for voice and live electronics composed by Alistair MacDonald. In this piece, a soundscape forged from the sound of Glasgow Cathedral’s great bell is interwoven with Hildegard’s writings on gemstones and healing, a letter to a Benedictine monk, her visions, and two of her antiphons, in a series of kaleidoscopic, multi-channel illusions. In the performance of this work, 10 speakers are placed around the audience, resulting in sounds of live electronics and vocals surrounding the audience and illuminating the space.
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TWILIGHT IN THE CRYPT
This work was commissioned by and premiered at the Glasgow Cathedral Festival. It was performed by soprano Stephanie Lamprea and composer Alistair MacDonald in a concert programme called Twilight in the Crypt (as the programme was performed in the Crypt of the Cathedral). This piece was curated with works for voice and live electronics by Robert Laidlow, Lisa Robertson, and Katrin Klose. Recordings of those works can be found below, and programme notes for these works can be found here: TWILIGHT PROGRAMME NOTES
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Stephanie Lamprea and Alistair MacDonald collaborate as a voice and electronics duo. Their work includes performing new and recent works, free improvisation, and composing electroacoustic and multidisciplinary works. Together, they have been commissioned by the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Glasgow Cathedral, and they have released an improvised album, POSTCARDS, in 2022 on Bandcamp. They have performed at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow), Inspace (Edinburgh), Stereo (Glasgow), and the Glasgow Cathedral Festival. More information on their work together as a duo can be found here: http://www.stephanielamprea.com/stephanie-lamprea--alistair-macdonald.html |