The world premiere of “Song of the Whales,” an Australian-Canadian project featuring the Montreal ensemble Oktoecho and Indigenous artists from Canada, Australia and New Zealand, took place last night at Place des Festivals. In the interview she gave to my colleague Alain Brunet, the co-composer of the work, Australian Corrina Bonshek, reveals that she didn’t write any notes for the solo musicians, but rather proposed landscapes to inhabit. That’s exactly the effect the nearly 90-minute music offered the audience: a vast panorama with a generally contemplative and spiritual atmosphere. As the traditional instruments and voices (Inuit throat singing, Australian didgeridoo, Persian kemancheh, traditional flute and Aboriginal ocean conch, etc.) are slowly deployed, the landscape unfolds in a succession of calm (predominant) and lively (occasional) passages. The Inuit singing duo informed us, with examples, about the playful and competitive nature of throat singing, which was a very enjoyable moment.
READ THE INTERVIEW WITH SONG OF THE WHALES CREATORS
As mentioned, the few accelerated moments added some pep to the show, whose artistic and aesthetic value I find is probably more enjoyable to experience indoors than outdoors, unless there’s a more holistic visual staging. There were a few slow parts in the performance. This is a first, so there’s still time to refine details and speed up the pacing between pieces, which sometimes seemed hesitant.
You’ll also notice that the narrative structure of the entire concert might be lost on many, as the connection to the whales sometimes becomes indescribable. That said, the work is also a grand fresco tinged with symbolism, and not a musical theatre piece that tells a specific story.
Despite these well-intentioned criticisms, I remain captivated by the immersive and enchanting atmospheres created by co-composers Katia Makdissi-Warren and Corrina Bonshek, as well as all the artists on stage, in this elaborate crossover imbued with the best spiritual-environmental insights.
A second performance will occur tonight, same time, same place, if you missed it, or want to dive again in this musical ocean.
Co-directed and composed by Corrina Bonshek (Australia) and Katia Makdissi-Warren (Canada), in close collaboration with renowned artists:
Whaia Sonic Weaver – Māori singer
Uncle Bunna Lawrie – Aboriginal singer, storyteller, and activist
Nina Segalowitz & Lydia Etok – Inuit throat singers and co-artistic directors of Oktoecho
And the musicians: Greta Kelly, Étienne Lafrance, Bertil Schulrabe, Michael Askill, and Jason Lee Scott
