COR
Operas
Constantinople explores a city that was, for centuries, a centre of globe-altering events and iconic battles of religion and politics. The work explores the crossing of faith and secularism, East and West, ancient ritual and modern practice. This is a multidisciplinary work bridging a number of media.
Composer: Christos Hatzis
Librettist: John Murrell
An Iranian man sits in a hotel room in Canada, writing his morning prayers.
Composer: Afarin Mansouri
Librettist: Jessica Murphy Moo
Content warning: death, incarceration, interrogation, suicide, torture
A translator at a secret prison for suspected terrorists witnesses extreme torture and death of detainees. She leaks the information to news broadcasters, but the government covers it up as a hoax. Her supervisor begs her to say nothing more about the things she has seen -...
A translator at a secret prison for suspected terrorists witnesses extreme torture and death of detainees. She leaks the information to news broadcasters, but the government covers it up as a hoax. Her supervisor begs her to say nothing more about the things she has seen -...
Composer: David Ogborn
Librettist: Leanna Brodie
COR
Excerpts
A long setting of the word Alleluia, revisiting the multitude of themes and musical genres that have appeared in isolation in the work so far.
An electroacoustic setting of an old Sufi song composed by Muhammad ‘Uthman (Egypt 1855-1900). The texts are considerably older; they were written by Sana’ il-Mulk (Egypt 1155-1211). The text is a poetic adoration of clouds: “O clouds adorn the crowns of the hills with garlands/And make the bending stream a bracelet for them/O sky...
“Christos Anesti”, the Byzantine Easter chant of the resurrection, is sung in Greek by the mezzo-soprano, while the alto intones and whispers similar texts from the Islamic faith.
An instrumental interlude.
A setting of twelve statements of the words “Kyrie Eleison” (“Lord Have Mercy Upon Us”), a standard orthodox ritual practice.
An instrumental interlude.
An instrumental interlude.
A man tries to write a letter home, but he cannot find the right words. He burns each rejected attempt.
2003: After leaking torture photos to the internet, American army translator Alessandra Jenson refuses to be hushed up, and live streams her suicide in protest.
English 
French