Jocelyn Pook Ensemble
The Jocelyn Pook Ensemble’s wide ranging repertoire features music from her album Untold Things, as well as selections from some of her film and television scores. Notoriously difficult to classify, these works contain a fusion of times and cultures – mixing strings and vocals from a classical tradition with medieval instruments, talking drums and found sounds (Yemenite chants, birdsong, children’s playground chatter). Jocelyn brings together singers from different backgrounds – mixing foreign languages with invented words as well as voices running backwards – to create an eclectic soundscape.
Adding to the sense of disorientation, Jocelyn has collaborated with visual artist Dragan Aleksic to incorporate a strong visual element to the performances. For a concert in Venice, Aleksic created Tides – a multi-layer video projection mixing previously shot footage with the live transmission of a burning wax effigy of the composer, installed outside the theatre. Sound and visuals combined to create an experience that has been described as mysterious, beautiful and haunting.
“A dizzying diversity of styles and musics.”
Photos by Manuel Harlan & Hugo Glendinning. Images by Dragan Aleksic.