About the piece ‘Path of Compassion’
Written by Maria Jardardottir

‘Path of Compassion’ is a piece that explores ostinatos and tonal minimalism combined with layered rhythmical intricacy, and which lyrically questions the current cynical political environment governed by rightwing policies (across the UK, Europe and beyond) wherein the human lives of everyday people at grass root level appear worthless and dispensable. In the recording submitted, voice musician Kari Nergaard Bleivik captures the frustration and tension in her improvisation section of the piece, as does bass clarinettist Oliver Dover in his melancholic solo drawing on tonal qualities of Eastern European and Arabic music. Maria herself also has a solo in the beginning of the piece drawing on the sinister and gloomy feeling of being at the verge of giving up. 
The score leaves options for textural improvisations in the intro section surrounding Voice 1’s solo. Also, as instructed as best as possible through verbal description, there is some use of more extended voice techniques particularly for Voice 1’s rhythmic phrase as well as Voice 2’s line exploring overtones. 

LYRICS:  
Path of Compassion
(Maria Jardardottir – 2015)

Take the work from the husband 
Take the bread from the hungry 
Take the child from the parent 
Take the health from the poorly

Give the wealth to the richer 
Give the voice to the thicker 
Give the aid to the warrior 
Give the prize to the liar

Deeply driven are people
who are part of the real world 
Deeply warped is the leader
who’s lost touch with the real world

Time will come, no more disguise 
Time will come, there’ll be up-rise 
We will show you, we’re many 
We will show you, we’re mighty

No one left, but the truthful 
No one left, but the mindful 
No one stands, but beside you 
No one rises above you

Take your time, you’ll learn slowly 
that with mind there’s a wholly 
way to steer the direction,
and its path is compassion

Time will come, no more disguise 
Time will come, there’ll be up-rise 
We will show you, we’re many 
We will show you, we’re mighty

Path Of Compassion

This is the first of a three piece suite called Driftwood that was commissioned by FacelessArts in Wakefield, UK, for a street art installation performance where the theme centred around how we welcome refugees and asylum seekers into our local communities as well as the idea of 'utopia'. 

You can read moe about the project at: 

www.welcomeutopia2016.wordpress.com

Music, text and recordings by Maria Jardardottir. 

Driftwood

Driftwood - A Wishing Tree

This is the second of a three piece suite called Driftwood that was commissioned by FacelessArts in Wakefield, UK, for a street art installation performance where the theme centred around how we welcome refugees and asylum seekers into our local communities as well as the idea of 'utopia'.

You can read moe about the project at:

www.welcomeutopia2016.wordpress.com

Music, text and recordings by Maria Jardardottir.

electroacousticAcapellaVocalSoundscapeinstallationworld


Driftwood - Santuary

This is the second of a three piece suite called Driftwood that was commissioned by FacelessArts in Wakefield, UK, for a street art installation performance where the theme centred around how we welcome refugees and asylum seekers into our local communities as well as the idea of 'utopia'.

You can read moe about the project at:

www.welcomeutopia2016.wordpress.com

Music, text and recordings by Maria Jardardottir.

electroacousticAcapellaVocalSoundscapeinstallationworld

Driftwood - Utopia

Bear Stories

The Fox and The Wolf

Upstream

Sleeping Giants

Born in Oslo, Norway, in 1979, Maria Jardardottir is a performing and composing voice musician and producer educated with a Bachelor and Master Degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music from Leeds College of Music, UK, currently working free lance with international engagements. Through her education and in her work she has kept a strong focus on creative composition, improvisation and extended voice techniques, Indian Classical music (Dhrupad), world music and electro acoustic performance and composition. Maria is a founding member of the a cappella group Røyst Trio with whom she has toured internationally since 2003. She is also currently composing for and performing with the collaboration between Røyst Trio and jazz-folk ensemble Metamorphic as well as world-music band Unfurl and jazz-improv-folk trio Motherese. Maria has had her music performed at international venues and festivals such as: Moldejazz, Henie-Onstad Arts Centre (NO), Roskilde Festival, Dansescenen (DK), Musicians Institute (Hollywood), Scandinavia House and Bar Thalia (New York), Scandinavian Hjemkomstfest (Fargo), Rainbow Bistro (Ottawa), Gallery BBAM! (Montreal), Lula Lounge (Toronto) and Hamilton World Music Festival (Hamilton), Transformarte (Tijuana), Göttingen Jazz Festival, Apex (Göttingen), Nordischer Klang Festival (Greiswald), Theaterlabor (Bielefeld). Harare International Festival of Arts (ZI), Independent Dance/Siobhan Davies Studios, London Contemporary Dance School, The Place, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Vortex (London), The Voicebox (Derby) and The Riley Theatre, Seven Arts (Leeds). Her work has also been played on BBC Radio 3 and 4, Norwegian NRK, Irish RTÉ as well as various radio and TV channels in Germany, Mexico and USA.

Maria Jardardottir

Popular tracks