Call the Doctors, Call Code Blue...

A song about finding your voice and standing up for yourself.

Shakira S & Dave P - Medication

Sul fil d’un soffio etesio - from Falstaff, 1893
Giuseppe Verdi (10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901)
Presented in recital 2013-10-27

Writing his final opera in his late seventies, Verdi turned for inspiration to Shakespeare's play "The Merry Wives of Windsor."  The piece follows the salacious exploits of the lecherous knight, Falstaff, as he attempts to court two women - both married and talking to one another - simultaneously. In this delightful aria, Nanetta, the daughter of one of those merry wives, disguises herself as the Queen of the Fairies in the hope of tricking the philanderer.  She calls her fae companions to come forth from their hiding places and partake in the revels of the night.

*

On the breath of an Etesian summer breeze,
scurry, agile shadows -
amidst the branches, a silvery-blue glow
from the rising moon has appeared.
Dance! And may light steps keep the measure of a gentle sound,
the magic mingling in the dance and the song.

We wander beneath the moon,
choosing flowers, one by one;
each crown of petals, in its heart, carries its good fortune.
With lilies and violets, let us write arcane names;
From our fae hands may words bloom...
Words, illuminated by pure silver and gold,
Magic incantations and charms.
The Fairies have, for their alphabet, the flowers.

"Sul fil d’un soffio etesio" - from Verdi's Falstaff - Recital 2013-10-27

As part of LibriVox's Dante750 celebration, I'm recording a bunch of small sections for a dramatic reading of The Divine Comedy.  In the case of the sung parts, this calls for finding public domain tunes to pair with the texts.

In the Sixth Ring of Purgatory, where Gluttony is punished, Dante comments that 
"'My lips, O Lord' was heard in such a way,
that to delight and sorrow it gave birth."

Inspiring delight and sorrow both is quite a challenge, but there are few pieces that seem so exquisitely sorrowful to me as Gregorio Allegri's "Miserere Mei, Deus," so that's the tune I used.   (Some might recognise it from the Civ 4 soundtrack!)

And now I have to share it, because I'm thrilled with how it turned out, even mixed to mono in line with LibriVox specifications.

For the curious, the excerpt sung here ranges from a low F# to a high C (I cheated and pulled the low D in the bass line up an octave for my recording - that might've been pushing it a bit!)

My Lips - The Gluttons' lamentation  (Dante, set to Allegri's "Miserere Mei, Deus")

A song from the Steampunk Rock Opera, Absinthe Heroes, by JM
and the amazing Psyche Corporation:
http://psychecorporation.com/
https://soundcloud.com/psychecorp

Tale Of Wonder

Lust, from Absinthe Heroes, by JM & Psyche Corporation.
Performed live at The Steampunk World's Fair, 14 May 2016

Absinthe Heroes is a darkly humorous rock opera featuring adventure, wit, dash, daring, and chocolate!

Also featuring Nicole Oliva as Chastity
Band: A Halo Called Fred

Absinthe Heroes - Live at The Steampunk World's Fair

Lust - Feat. Nicole Oliva, From Absinthe Heroes (Live at SPWF 2016)

Progress, from Absinthe Heroes by JM & Psyche Corporation.
Performed live at The Steampunk World's Fair, 14 May 2016

Absinthe Heroes is a darkly humorous rock opera featuring adventure, wit, dash, daring, and chocolate!

Band: A Halo Called Fred

Progress - from Absinthe Heroes (Live at SPWF 2016)

A villain can be very inventive, when he has a suitable victim in his clutches... 

Demo track from Randal Newton-John's awesome mediaeval musical, Templar, 2008.

Randal can be reached at: 
creationwolf [at] yahoo[dot]com[dot]au

Randal Newton-John - Seven Ways To Die

The latest version of a track from The Merlin Bird's forthcoming album, Chapter and Verse (recorded December 2010).

<a href="http://www.merlinbird.com.au">http://www.merlinbird.com.au</a>
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/merlinbird">http://www.myspace.com/merlinbird</a>

The Merlin Bird - Of Night & Day

The Song of Eve - an amazing cross-continental collaboration with <a href="http://soundcloud.com/pmn-music-creations/">PMN Music Creations</a>. 

<a href="https://vimeo.com/40541211">Full track here</a>.

Commissioned by Pleroma Theatre Productions of Hong Kong for their May 2012 production, The Gnostic Eden. In this piece, Eve is a sensual, serpentine incarnation of Sophia, the Goddess of Wisdom, come down to Earth to guide Adam.

Coptic Lyrics, from the Nag Hammadi Codices.

PMN Music - Song of Eve (full track in description)

A piece written/covered/arranged (however you prefer to describe it) to celebrate the marriage of two dear friends in Australia.

Based, unsurprisngly, on "If I Had Words," which in turn is based on the Maestoso from Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3, but arranged with a style more suited to the couple themselves.

Additional verses written by myself and the bride. The spoken quotes were recorded in multiple studios around the planet and sent to me to weave into the piece. Thanks to Daniel, America, Shane, Lisa, Simon, Geoff and Rhi & Reed themselves for their voices!

If I Had Words

First collaboration of 2013!

This song started its life as a folksy indie-pop number with acoustic guitar. It took itself in a rather different direction, though - and I like the results.

Dave P & Shakira S - Let Me Take You

Uninvited, they confided...

Electronica with a hint of an '80s sound.

Dave P & Shakira S - Unrequited

Shakira is a classically trained singer with a love of all sorts of musical styles, currently based in Lisboa, Portugal.

Their previous projects include Prog Rock band The Merlin Bird, who performed in Germany and the UK as well as various iconic venues around Melbourne, and Umanee, a Melbourne world/folk-fusion group featured at the Maldon Folk Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival and La Boîte.  

Performing professionally since 1992, they have been part of multiple opera choruses, were seen off-Broadway, performed with Trans Voices Cabaret, and more.

Shakira learnt to appreciate the music of various countries and cultures early in life, and has a particular interest in works that transcend the boundaries of genre convention - while being gleefully aware of how pretentious that sounds.  They have sung in many languages, including French, German, Rotuman, Latin, Coptic, Japanese and Semitic Akkadian, and they are happily expanding this list as opportunities present themselves.

Shakira also maintains a spoken-voice SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/shakira-speaks

*

I'm available as a session vocalist or for short-term collaborations, and promise not to talk about myself in the third person too often.

shakira-s

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