During the corona times in 2021, the Orgelpark in Amsterdam offered a short residency to 10 composers under the title kettingcompositie (chain composition). Each composer was commissioned to work in the hall and create a short composition using any instruments of their choice. They would then share the last few seconds with the next composer in line, so that each composition starts as a reaction to the ending of the previous one.
I was selected to be the 10th composer, closing the chain composition. I decided to work with the Utopa Baroque organ and the Busy Drone, controlled via my computer, integrating field recordings and the voice of Natasa Tsakiridou re-interpreting Purcell’s melody of Here the deities above, on lyrics by Andriana Minou. Birds, passing cars, countryside insects and Natasa’s voice are sounding through 8 speakers placed in various positions around the hall: front stereo, balcony stereo, auditorium stereo, behind a window (mono), in an organ (mono).
Far Away or Close Enough was made with the valuable advice of the Orgelpark’s artistic advisor Trevor Grahl and the sound engineer Clare Gallagher. The piece is part of a chain composition that includes pieces by Jasna Veličković, Claudio F. Baroni, Boris Bezemer, Aspasia Nasopoulou, Eric de Clercq, Sander Germanus, Anthony Dunstan, Samuel Vriezen and Sylvia Borcelli.
Far Away or Close Enough
lyrics: Andriana Minou
voice: Natasa Tsakiridou
artistic advice: Trevor Grahl
sound engineer: Clare Gallagher
Από τους θεούς ζητάς
Ο,τι φοβάσαι κι αγαπάς
Όσα τρεμεις θα σε τρέφουν
Και τα βηματά σου στρέφουν
Πιο μακριά ή πιο κοντά
Σ’ ο,τι σε πονάει γλυκά
Καθε νύχτα ξαγρυπνω
Το χρόνο πιάνω απ’το λαιμό
Δευτερόλεπτα που πνίγω
Κι όμως δεν κρατουν πιο λίγο
Ωρες που περνούν αργά
Από σένανε μακριά
What you’re asking from the gods
is what you fear and love
You’ll feed on what makes you tremble
and your steps will always lead you
far away or close enough
to what causes you sweet pain
Every night I stay up
I grab Time by the throat
Seconds that even though I strangle
they don’t seem to last longer
Hours passing very slowly
Far away from you
Premiere on 1 September 2021.
Part of the symposium Europees Symposium on 26 & 27 March 2022.
Reprise on 20 May 2022.
The Orgelpark, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Thanasis Deligiannis 