Steta Speaks: 'The Opera' 2008

Live recording, Mon 16th June 2008, fixed point, stairwell'

Steta Speaks was the result of nine texts - stories or observations about people and places - written over the period of six months. Performed live, on 16th, 23rd and 25th June 2008 in various locations at Byam Shaw School of Art (Summer Show), to an original vocal score composed by Gregory Emfietzis.  

The desire to present these texts musically was influenced by popular culture and an awareness of the power of music, to not only affect the mood of the listener, but also to transform the meaning of the words/lyrics. This formed the basis for a collaborative approach to develop a vocal score from the words, which could be performed in a way that challenges standard audience-performer relationships. 

The project was not only about how to communicate most effectively the content of the texts, but also an experiment of how to retain comprehension, whilst nine parts are being sung simultaneously. Speech operates within a relatively small pitch range of the vocal capacity, yet when this pitch range is opened up, the capacity to transcend the aural chaos of nine people speaking at the same time, becomes a real possibility. Instead of hearing the sound of multiple voices speaking (i.e. a wall of sound), the audience has the chance to potentially hear and process nine pitch levels of aural information.  

The performer was not (obviously) visibly discernible from the audience. The event was not broadcast, so that the audience was not aware of what was about to take place. The performers were positioned in such a way that their presence was dispersed amongst the audience, and at a given time they aurally 'materialised' out of the crowd in various locations (stairwell, reception and exhibition space). Therefore, the possibility of an audience member finding themselves standing next to a performer became possible, producing a varying interpretation of the performance, depending on where the audience member had been standing. 

Acknowledgements and with kind thanks to:

All who contacted me to be involved in the project (composition/performing), including, Michella Warren, Charlotte Bradford, Tizzy Kanouche and Rose Streatfeild. Ruth Ewan, whose advice was indispensable in the early stages of the development of the project. To all the individuals who helped with locating performers including; Leslie Anne Lewis (Roehampton University) and Simon Kimera (Thames Valley University). To all the choirs who circulated my advert for performers, including; Concord Singers, Coisir Lunnainn, David Temple (Crouch End Festival Chorus), Judith (London Orpheus Choir), Elziabeth (Lloyd’s Choir), Jo (Elysian singers), Andrew (Eclectic Voices), and Simon (Joyful Company of Singers).