Meeting the Audience and Myself 
A singer's search for reflection through music

"In what way can I meet my audience? 
And what happens when I take music, usually performed in churches, and move it to a new context? 

How can I create and use immersive music experiences as a tool for reflection?
And in what way can I use lyrics as a starting point?

These are some of the questions that I have been thinking about over the course of my masters in Contemporary Performative Arts. My name is Anna Thunström, I’m a classical singer and I’m going to talk to you about my artistic research project that I have been investigating during two years in the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg." 

This is the beginning of an artistic research podcast in two parts.
Enjoy.

Meeting the Audience and Myself: Part TWO

Come heavy sleep, the image of true death;
and close up these my weary weeping eyes:
Whose spring of tears doth stop my vital breath,
and tears my heart with sorrows sign swoln cries:
Come and possess my tired thoughts, worne soule,
That living dies, till thou on me bestoule.

Come shadow of my end, and shape of rest,
Allied to death, child to blakefac'd night:
Come thou and charm these rebels in my breast,
Whose waking fancies doe my mind affright.
O come sweet sleepe; come, or I die ever:
Come ere my last sleep comes, or come never.

Voice: Anna Fredrika Thunström
Lute: Dohyo Sol

Come Heavy Sleep- Dowland

Eyes, look no more,
For what hath all the earth
That's worth the sight?
Ears, hear no more, 
For what can breathe the voice
Of true delight?
Think Glory, Honour,
Joys, Delights, Contents,
Are but the empty reports
Of [unapropried]1 terms
That breath invents,
Not knowing what it imports.

Joys, Delights, and Pleasures
In us hold such a doubtful part,
As if they were but thrall,
And those were all in all.
For Griefs, Distrusts, Remorse,
I see must domineer the heart.

Clothe thee, my heart,
With black dark thoughts,
And think but of despair.
Silence, lock up my words,
And scorn these idle sounds of air.
But Sorrow, Grief,
Affliction and Despair,
These are the things that are sure,
And these we feel not as conceits in th' air
But as the same we endure.

Joys, Delights, and Pleasures
Make Grief to tyrannize us worse,
Our mirth brings but distastes,
For nought delights and lasts.
Grief, then, take all my heart,
For where none strive, there needs less force.

Voice: Anna Fredrika Thunström
Lute: Dohyo Sol

Eyes Look No More- Danyel

In darkness let me dwell, the ground shall sorrow be;
The roof despair to bar all cheerful light from me;
The walls of marble black that moistened still shall weep;
My music hellish jarring sounds to banish friendly sleep.
Thus wedded to my woes, and bedded to my tomb,
O let me living, living die, till death do come.

Voice: Anna Fredrika Thunström
Lute: Dohyo Sol

Meeting the Audience and Myself

In Darkness Let Me Dwell- Dowland

A Swedish version of Dido's Lament by Henry Purcell.
Created for the play "Samtal med kaniner" by theatre company Under produktion 2019.

Text adaption and voice: Anna Thunström
Organist: Anna-Lena Nordberg

Text / Lyrics

Recitativ (Swedish):
Håll om mig, vännen, mörkret skymmer,
I din famn låt mig vila, men
Inte mer, för döden tar mig.
Den är nu en välkommen vän.

Recitative (English):
Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
On thy bosom let me rest,
More I would, but Death invades me;
Death is now a welcome guest.

Aria (Swedish):
När jag är lagd, är lagd i jord,
Låt ej mina fel orsaka
Bekymmer, bekymmer i ditt bröst;
Åh minns mig då, åh minns mig då, men ah! glöm bort mitt slut
Åh minns mig då, men ah! glöm bort mitt slut

Aria (English):
When I am laid, am laid in earth, 
May my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;
Remember me, remember me, but ah! forget my fate.
Remember me, but ah! forget my fate.

Åh minns mig då (When I am laid)- Purcell

Morning
Sunrise
Open my eyes
And I can tell it's gonna be a good day
I can tell it's gonna be a good day
Did you sleep well?
Did you dream at all?
Can you tell me the time
On the alarm clock?
I can tell it's gonna be a good day
I can tell it's gonna be a good day
But you can sleep in
You just keep dreamin' for us
I can tell it's gonna be a good day
I can tell it's gonna be a good day

Voice: Anna Fredrika Thunström
Guitar: Gustav Lejelind

A good day (Morning song) - Priscilla Ahn

Two covers. One electric guitar.
Love songs for a wedding.

Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be
When our time has come
We will be as one
God bless our love
God bless our love
Grow old along with me
Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun
When the day is done
God bless our love
God bless our love
Spending our lives together
Man and wife together
World without end
World without end
Grow old along with me
Whatever fate decrees
We will see it through
For our love is true
God bless our love
God bless our love

Voice: Anna Fredrika Thunström
Guitar: Gustav Lejelind

Grow old with me - John Lennon

SINGING. PERFORMING. CREATING.

Swedish singer and performer. Mixing voice, immersive art and self/reflection.
https://annathunstrom.com

Anna Thunström

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