Meredith Monk: Songs of Ascension

The Song of Ascension performance includes Meredith Monk but also a large number of other performers and instrumentalists. It is set in a round tower with, what I presume, is a double staircase. It looked weird when I watched it first because the performers standing on the stairs seemed very near from one level to another, too near for the symmetry and height of a traditional staircase, I thought. Then I realised that it had to be a double staircase. How that is built is beyond me, I am not an architect, after all. But I know there are towers like that because they are very much likedby photographers as a possible subject to play with. In any case, the ensemble of musicians and performers (for some of the people in that video did nothing but walk up (and almost down) the stairs without contributing with their voice or an instrument) have chosen well with this tower. The acoustics are great, the voice of Meredith Monk reverberates very well through the space. The same goes for the music that is played with instruments. They fit the space, both sound-related but also very much so in terms of space they take up. The small accordion-like instrument Meredith Monk uses in certain scenes fits perfectly in the performance, and underlines her voice marvellously. Incidentally, that instrument reminds me of the harmonium that is played in Qawwali performances. Looking at the video again, I do think that it is, in fact, a small version of those harmoniums that I know well from Qawwali performances. In any case, the performance is built in a very theatrical form, not just a handful musicians and singers standing there and performing.

        That theatrical performance is probably due to to Meredith Monks background in theatre performance. Everything feels as if it was planned meticulously. Monk's Eastern European ancestry is also obvious in her voice. From the other videos we were shown during class, there is that unmistaken similarity to Eastern European vocal tradition. No wonder, therefore, that Monk uses her voice as if it was an actual instrument. It certainly works well in producing sounds that go beyond the narrow range which classic Western singers are taught to perform in.
        What is fascinating is the title of her work. Initially, I thought it was merely a wordplay on Ascension Day and the fact that the ensemble moves steadily upwards inside the tower. I was going to look it up but when I started to type in the title, the search engine suggested “Song of Ascents”. That, as it turns out, are Hebrew Psalms. Remembering Monk's Jewish heritage, I gather that it has more to do with various religions, or even surpassing religion altogether for spirituality in general. After all, all the religions that come to my mind have Heaven (or the equivalent of it) above us while Hell (and its equivalents) are somewhere down under the ground. Therefore it is only natural to move upwards instead of downwards.
        I liked the piece much more than the cistern performance by Pauline Oliveros. Using the  daylight of a sunny and warm day, and ascending is much more to my taste than spending time in a spooky underground place. No matter the acoustics, this colourful performance is something I would attend.