01 The Devil - Jacqui Dark & Daryl Wallis

Streets

Christmas Island

From a libretto by Shaun Gardiner
Based on a story by Neil Gaiman

Singers: Octavia Barron-Martin
Jennifer Vuletic
Jeremy Brennan

Persian translations by Bruce Hooshmand
Persian voices: Bruce Hooshmand 
Zoe Hooshmand

On the day I sat down to finalize which script I would concentrate on for the ENO minioperas project, our Parliament here in Australia began an extraordinary day of debate over boat asylum seeker policy in the wake of yet another tragic capsizing and loss of life at sea near Christmas Island. So when I read Shaun Gardiner's evocative treatment of Neil Gaiman's short story, I knew that was the one to work with. The following days of debate and policy impasse became the background to the composing process and have now woven themselves into the final mix of this composition as well as providing it's poignant title in light of how many dreams have been wrecked in its surrounding waters. 

Ultimately I set nearly 13 minutes of music to Shaun's text so this setting is a distillation of key chorus sections alongside two recitatives for the Man and Woman of the libretto. I then decided to start playing with one of the culled duets and it has evolved into another submission entirely called Sinuosity.

Thanks to all my wonderful singers and speakers for taking on the score and rising to the occasion of an intense afternoon of recording. Thanks to ENO as well for hosting such an exciting creative opportunity.


Christmas Island

Sinuosity

From a libretto by Shaun Gardiner
Based on a story by Neil Gaiman

Singers: Octavia Barron-Martin
Jeremy Brennan
Jennifer Vuletic
Ali Hughes

Persian translations by Bruce Hooshmand
Persian voices: Bruce Hooshmand 
Zoe Hooshmand


This central duet from Shaun Gardiner's script Wreckage Of Dreams grew into a meditation on dualities as the composing and arranging process progressed. Man/Woman; Mother/Child; Subject/Observer; Reality/Image; Language/Translation; Solo/Duet; Composed/Improvised etc… all became focal points for the piece. The word 'sinuosity' seemed to be the key to all these relationships in the text and music: a measure of deviation of a path between two points from the shortest possible path. 

Thanks to all my wonderful singers and speakers for taking on the score and rising to the occasion of an intense afternoon of recording. Thanks to ENO as well for hosting such an exciting creative opportunity.


Daryl Wallis

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