QPAC

Dive to the depths of the ocean with Ensemble Q’s Deep Blue. This stunningly atmospheric and descriptive program of works celebrates our fascination and love for the sea.

George Crumb’s iconic Vox Balanae (Voice of the Whale) asks the players to wear black clothing, eye masks, play electric flute, electric cello and amplified piano and perform only under blue light, creating an underwater atmosphere that could well be the closest experience to being underwater without actually getting wet. It was in the 1960’s that Crumb first heard recordings of whale sounds on tapes recorded by marine scientists, inspiring the 1971 composition that features singing, whistling, crotales, bird sounds, rattles and clatters and of course, whale sounds, all presented in the most beautiful and atmospheric way possible.

Award-winning composer Paul Dean then takes the underwater experience to another level with The Sea Meets Infinity, placing the bass clarinet and percussion deep underwater to recreate haunting sounds evoking the scene of a shipwreck. And back on shore, Ensemble Q welcomes back family member and guest artist, UK based mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean for the most exquisite and deeply romantic version of Ernest Chausson’s Poème de L’amour et de la mer.