A multi-instrumental piece featuring Coptic lyrics written for "Gan Eden" - multi-media, dance theater performance by Pleroma Theater Company (Hong Kong, 2013); Vocals by Shakira Searle.



"The Elegy" from "Gan Eden" (2013)

Great Vintage Prog Rock from The Merlin Bird. Back from touring Europe and playing with Jethro Tull .. this is a sneak preview off their new album Produced, recorded and Mixed at Studio 52 by Trevor Carter .. and yes that is me playing the guitar solo at the end  .. thanks guys ! :)

The Turning - The Merlin Bird

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 little modular performance, done with inspiration from a poem, read by Shakira Searle.

Poetry Exploration 001 - Time Does Not Bring Relief

"Walk for a day where life is life, the joys are true, and the pictures, real"

Contains a reading from LIbirivox.org by Shakira Searle of
All That Matters - The Call by Edgar A. Guest

Video: 
https://youtu.be/Pt3jzOlJG_M

Check out a quick video of it by Cristian Xavier during the eclipse
https://vimeo.com/230506765
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_GP1i2hJnc

Where The Picture Is Real

"Song of Eve" - commissioned by my friend Zeke Li and his Pleroma Theatre Production, Hong Kong. Lyrics in Coptic, sung by Shakira Searle (http://soundcloud.com/shakira-s).

Instruments: Concert Harp, String section, English Horn, Electric Bass, solo Cello, additional Double Bass section, Djembe, Darbuka, Daf, Morin Khur, Duduk, Water Drum, Marimba, Bansuri, Gong, Cymbals, Crystal Bowls, Piano and variety of percussive gremlins ;)

(more about the show: http://www.pleroma.hk/)

Composed in April, 2012, Melbourne, Australia
(Copyright (C) 2012 by PMN Music Creations)


"Song of Eve" from "Gan Eden" (2012)

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.

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

shakira-s

Recent comments

she's the finest kind

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