Recording: Charlemagne Palestine

Artist: Charlemagne Palestine

Song: The Organ is the Greatest Synthesizer [excerpt]

Recorded at Metropolitan United Church (FutureStops Festival), October 1, 2022.

Charlemagne Palestine - The Organ is the Greatest Synthesizer [excerpt]

The FutureStops Festival was undoubtedly an ambitious undertaking, bringing a series of high-profile international guests to town to celebrate new directions in pipe organ music. And if, in practice, that fairly niche mandate made it tough to connect with a wider audience, the programming was generally well spoken of. This final show was the only one I was able to make it out to, but featured two names I was most eager to see. Having experienced the music and presence of Charlemagne Palestine nearly a decade ago I had a notion of what to expect, but with access to the larger scale of the pipe organ, thie was an altogther more immense experience. Although this had some sonic similarities to Sarah Davachi's earlier set, the organizing principle here was much more intuitive, with Palestine feeling his way along — albeit joyfully, if his accompanying organ seat wiggle-dancing was anything to go by.

Recording: Sarah Davachi

Artist: Sarah Davachi

Song: unknown^* [excerpt]

Recorded at Metropolitan United Church (FutureStops Festival), October 1, 2022.

Sarah Davachi - unknown [excerpt]

The FutureStops Festival was undoubtedly an ambitious undertaking, bringing a series of high-profile international guests to town to celebrate new directions in pipe organ music. And if, in practice, that fairly niche mandate made it difficult to connect with a wider audience, the programming was generally well spoken of. This final show was the only one I was able to make it out to, but featured two names I was most eager to see.

Under the pulpit's imposing arch, it was a treat to see Sarah Davachi in more impressive surroundings than I had caught her in previously. Clearly working to a plan (with some scored material at hand), I'm not sure if this was "new work" or treatments of some previously-recorded material, but it was most impressive both in its stately build and in the manner that the overlapping sound-waves and phase-cancellations recreated all of the effects that one might attribute to the electronic manipulation of sound.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Preview/Contest: FutureStops Festival

Thursday September 29 — Saturday, October 1, 2022

An unexpected blending of traditional instrumentation and contemporary composition, the FutureStops Festival is bringing some avant approaches to the pipe organ to town next week. With five concerts as well as several spin-off interviews and ancillary events, it's a chance to see some legends (like Amina Claudine Myers) plus musicians who have been covered in these pages (including Raven Chacon, Charlemagne Palestine, and Sarah Davachi) performing — quite literally! — on some bigger stages. It's also a chance to hear music in some impressive spaces, including at the Cathedral of St. James and Metropolitan United Church.

Here's what's gonna be happening at the festival:

• Kali Malone, Thomas Mellan, Kara-Lis Coverdale @ Cathedral of St James, Thursday September 29th, 7:30 p.m. Entitled "Dark Matter", thai night features works from three emerging and vital composers.
• Raven Chacon, Amina Claudine Myers, Sarah Svendsen, Rashaan Allwood @ Roy Thomson Hall, Friday, September 30th, 7:30 p.m. The centrepiece presentation of the festival, this ambitious and large-scale program features the Canadian premieres of Chacon's "Voiceless Mass" and Myers' "Improvisational Suite".
• FUJI||||||||||TA, Sandra Boss @ Roy Thomson Hall Lobby, Saturday, October 1st, 1:00 p.m. This Saturday matinée (concert and talk) has the intriguing title of "Hacking the Organ", with "two performers who built their own instruments to offer a unique sonic interpretation of the organ which can be activated in any space."
• Charlemagne Palestine, Matthew Larkin, Sarah Davachi @ Metropolitan United Church, Saturday, October 1st, 7:30 p.m. "Forces of Nature" is dedicated to exploring "new directions and possibilities for the organ" from a trio of eclectic and unique artists.

TICKETS + MORE INFO

You can find everything you'd want to know about the festival on their website, and ticket info is right here. (there's also a "virtual pass" for those who'd like to experience nearly all of the festival in the comfort of their own space.)

CONTEST

Thanks to the festival organizers, I have a pair of tickets to give away to the big Friday night show (that is, of course, the one with Raven Chacon, Amina Claudine Myers, Sarah Svendsen, Rashaan Allwood at Roy Thomson Hall).

To enter, shoot me an email to mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com, with "contest" in the title and your name in the body. (The winner will need to provide me with their first & last name, phone number and address.) I'll randomly draw a winner at noon on Tuesday, September 27th.