LABYRINTHINE
Meditation for unaccompanied voices and labyrinth.
January 12th, 2024 at Working Title, St Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, San Diego.
'Saturday’s closing piece was “Labyrinthine,” by Dom Cooper, which was accompanied by a maze-like layout of texts and illustrations about labyrinths.
It was performed in the Great Hall of St. Paul’s, which has a labyrinth on its floor. One by one, seven singers from the San Diego New Verbal Workshop gradually travelled the labyrinth, each slowly repeating a single textless tone. The audience was seated around the performers, and as they approached or receded, it brought different pitches of the seven-part harmony to the fore.
It was performed in the Great Hall of St. Paul’s, which has a labyrinth on its floor. One by one, seven singers from the San Diego New Verbal Workshop gradually travelled the labyrinth, each slowly repeating a single textless tone. The audience was seated around the performers, and as they approached or receded, it brought different pitches of the seven-part harmony to the fore.
Hearing this was an analog to walking the labyrinth: there were small changes within an overall form that did not change. Halfway through the work, all seven vocalists reached the center, and then slowly began retracing their paths. As each exited the labyrinth, they stopped singing. It was a lovely sonic and visual meditation.'
Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union Tribune.
Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union Tribune.
An annual exhibition of local art and music with a ritualistic mélange of paintings, sculpture, multimedia art, and live performances. A transborder team of artists and musicians invaded the gothic halls of the historic St. Paul’s Cathedral in Bankers Hill and filled it to the brim with works that explored connections between the earthly and the divine. The three-day, community-based event included new works, world premieres, and thought provoking performances featuring some of the most exciting creative voices in Southern California, Tijuana, and Baja California curated by Diana Benavidez and Leslie Ann Leytham. A pilgrimage through sacred spaces, profane realities, and everything in between!
For PROJECT [BLANK].
Composer: Dom Cooper.
Performers: Rosalyn Arvizu, Zane Alexander, Clara Boyle, Dom Cooper, Jasmine King, Andy Walsh, Lily Yates.
Labyrinthine explores the symbolism of labyrinths and their history as walking meditations. Sonically, it represents an inner journey along the path.