Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

SINUATUS is inspired by the unusual flowers of the Queensland Firewheel Tree, as well as Pauline Oliveros' philosophy of deep listening to include psychic phenomena as well as the sounds of and in everyday and unusual locations.

My very first choral experience in my music degree was a four part 'song'
Pauline composed using only vocalisation of the sounds produced by a tape recorder mechanics. Sadly, although I cannot remember the name of this music, but I loved the notion of backwards translation from machine to human sound making as well as the freedom in the way sounds melded together in time to make the bigger meaning from the individual weird sounds.

Work Details

Year: 2022

Instrumentation: 19 unaccompanied female vocalist/movers in three circles: one circle each of 11 women (C1), 9 women (C2), 5 women (C3).Each Circle dances to the same regular pulse, arms linked facing outwards towards the audience, at one pulse per word or silence.Each Circle rotates one place per pulse, when each performer is centre stage facing the audience, this speaker sings or speaks their word.

Duration: 6 min.

Difficulty: Medium — The co-ordination of body and vocal work; the music requires individual confidence in placement and vocal projection

Commission note: In Memory of Pauline Oliveros and the Deep Listening Institute

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc in relation to this work:
Pauline Oliveros, John Cage

In honor of the legacy of Pauline Oliveros, and celebration of what would have been her 90th birthday, the Center for Deep Listening at Rensselaer College (NY, USA) has proclaimed and requested music for "A Year of Deep Listening." This is a year-long, collective exploration of the power and potential of listening in this moment. Wendy has written the text as well as composing the music and designing the performance.