The annual ISCM World (New) Music Days Festival is organized each year by a different host. The festival presents music from each of our members, showcasing the incredible diversity of musical practice in our time.
I was invited to attend this year for a performance of my piece, “Alouette Meets Her Maker” by the Lisbon University Youth Choir. To say I was blown away is an understatement. The choir is amazing. They begin their work on new music on-book, as a choir normally does. But they are working towards getting OFF-book, as a choir normally doesn’t. Once the group has memorized the music, they stage it. They add choreography. With my music, this meant that the choir was arranged in a V-shape on stage, simulating the piece’s titular flying space vehicle. They performed in the dark, with lights blinking erratically on the wings. When Alouette enters her death throes at the end of the piece, the treble singers would through themselves into the ground and slowly rise up, as if the satellite was desperately clawing her way out of death, only for the whole choir to pitch over at the end, decimated.
It was a great honour to attend, as an artist representing Canada on the world stage. I ran into some of my colleagues there – notably Alfredo Santa Ana whom I remember from my undergrad days. He had an excellent choral piece performed the same night as myself.
My biggest take-away was realizing the international aspect of what I do. There are people all over the world who’s tastes align with my own wild escapades of music making. I just have to get out of my house and meet them. Thanks very much to the ISCM for putting this together!
Chris Sivak | Composer 