Congregation

By
Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch
April 11, 2022
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A Saint slowly journeys into the waves, carried by a people, a procession, a unifying ritual...

The primary inspiration behind Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch's Congregation is the Romani pilgrimage taking place at the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. The traditionally nomadic people gather in a small village in the south of France to worship their Saint and patroness, the Black Sara, as well as to reunite and nurture their identity and culture. The piece is inspired by how rituals involving behaviours that might be considered unusual or even extreme in everyday life can create a sense of community for separated individuals, a collective catharsis. It utilises binaural technology, field recordings, body percussions and voices to explore the physical and emotional sensations generated by communal ecstatic and charismatic religious practices, contrasting overwhelming chaos with the release of the sublime.
Creative Team
Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch-Farrouch
Composer
Tom Parnell
Audio Producer
Bertie Baigent
Conductor
Jack Furness
Creative Producer
Claudia Clarkson
Project Manager
Naomi Belshaw
Commissioning Producer
Blackheath Halls Opera
Chorus

The Company

Rhian Lois
Rhian Lois
Soprano
Rhian Lois
Sam Furness
Tenor
Rhian Lois
Benedict Nelson
Baritone
Rhian Lois
Owain Browne
Baritone
Rhian Lois
Andrew Tipple
Bass
Rhian Lois
Blackheath Halls Opera
Chorus
Rhian Lois
Rhian Lois
Rhian Lois