Antiphony of the Trees

UK based international musician Laura Cannell presents the live version of her seventh solo album Antiphony of the Trees. The album has been transformed into a live project with electronics and live performance.

Here, for the first time she focuses solely on the recorder, taking inspiration from the sound of birdsong which cuts through the crisp air of the fen valley where she lives. Armed with bass, tenor, alto and double recorders, layered fragments are transcribed and re-interpreted from birdsong into a minimalist solo chamber music.

From slow chordal drones, breathy and raw in the chilled air to the sound of rapidly beating wings, she plays all the parts of all the birds: the hoarders, the gatherers and the sacred birds. The avian arias which dominate the sky are echoed and the response comes from a new voice.

“When the roads and skies were forced into quietude, the birdsong took over. The skies and branches were full of clarity with avian voices echoing through the crisp air of the fen valley. Every day it felt like the dawn chorus was getting louder, longer and stronger. The hyper focussed trilling of antiphonal calls permeated the stillness. The birds were singing so loudly that I had to sing back.” – Laura Cannell