VOICES: The Forty Part Motet

VOICES: The Forty Part Motet

Thursday 4 February 2010-Wednesday 3 March 2010, Mon-Sat 2 - 8pm

Event Details

A unique sound installation based on Thomas Tallis’s masterpiece for forty voices, Spem in Alium. In Janet Cardiff’s re-working each of the forty voices are heard through independent speakers spaced throughout the Howard Assembly Room.  Audiences are invited to wander around the room and absorb this rich, aural experience.

 

Comments by the artist:

 

"While listening to a concert you are normally seated in front of the choir, in traditional audience position. With this piece I want the audience to be able to experience a piece of music from the viewpoint of the singers.

 

I placed the speakers around the room in an oval so that the listener would be able to really feel the sculptural construction of the piece by Tallis. You can hear the sound move from one choir to another, jumping back and forth, echoing each other and then experience the overwhelming feeling as the sound waves hit you when all of the singers are singing."

 

Some visitor comments:

 

"An evocative, interesting and spellbinding experience. A glorious piece of work by Janet Cardiff and brilliantly displaying and curate by the team at Opera North and the Howard Assembly Room.”

“Excellent – very friendly and attentive staff. Highly recommended!”

“Absolutely beautiful. So spiritually uplifting, I got goosebumbs! I’m so glad I got the chance to experience this. Thanks.”

“Amazing of all sorts of levels (technically, spiritually, musically, sculpturally!) To someone who doesn’t know anything about music even, it is awe-inspiring. You can’t help smiling (even self-consciously). Miles better than surround-sound TV.”

Podcasts

  • Focus on Voices
    (Lasts approximately 20 minutes)

    Howard Assembly Room general manager, Richard Ashton, and artistic director, Dominic Gray, talk to writer and broadcaster, Edward Seckerson, about Voices, a new series of concerts that will take your breath away.

Videos

  • The Forty Part Motet

    An exclusive preview of the unique sound installation, the Forty Part Motet by Janet Cardiff, taken on the opening night, currently in the Howard Assembly Room.