Music
Songs of Ascension
Meredith Monk and Ann Hamilton
Featuring Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble and The Todd Reynolds
String Quartet
From the Buddhist path of enlightenment to Jacob's ladder to
heaven, the theme of spiritual attainment through ascent permeates
the global unconscious. In Songs of Ascension,
multidisciplinary artist Meredith Monk (last at BAM with
impermanence, 2006 Next Wave Festival) embraces this
universal notion, creating a sanctuary of music, movement, and
video rooted in her evocative vocal style.
Inspired in part by sky-bound structures, Monk, together with
video artist Ann Hamilton (mercy, 2002 Next Wave
Festival), transforms the BAM Harvey Theater into a resonant
spiritual chamber, using voice, strings, reeds, and percussion to
envelop the audience in contemplative sound. Performers lend body
to buoyant spirit as gossamer-like video projections flicker on the
walls, sending the collective soul upwards on mellifluous currents
of song.
Music by Meredith Monk
Video design by Ann Hamilton
Lighting design by Elaine Buckholtz
Costume design by Yoshio Yabara
Additional costumes by Gary Graham
Sound design by Jody Elff