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Threading the Light

Threading the Light was composed between 2008 and 2012, as the cornerstone of a PhD in composition. Motivated by its world premiere by The Cooperative in 2022 and having waited 10 years for its release, Felicity Wilcox now presents this very personal, ethereal, strongly symbolic, and emotionally charged work.

Threading the Light refers to the universal phenomenon of ritual, a constant in human culture that is designed to transcend worldly concerns through spirituality.

The titles of its four movements – Light, Water, Blood and Fire – refer to elements commonly associated with ritual practices. There are also Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Vedic source prayers. On a very personal note, the work is dedicated to the composer's brother, the Reverend Dr Gavin Wilcox (1962-2008), whose prayers “Walk in His Ways” and “Breath of Wind” are included in tracks II. Water and IV Fire.

Wilcox created an electronic instrument for Threading the Light sourced from Himalayan singing bowl tones of various pitches, digitised and retuned in Just Intonation, becoming a virtual electronic instrument that weaves throughout the work. Blended seamlessly with the voices of Jenny Duck-Chong, Alison Morgan, and Mark Donnelly, and contrasting with the timbre and tuning of string and percussion ensemble conducted by Sada Muramatsu, and featuring soloists Anna McMichael, Luke Spicer and Anthea Cottee, the result is an ethereal, atmospheric masterpiece.

Artists

Felicity Wilcox

Felicity Wilcox is an ARIA and AACTA-nominated Australian composer, whose output encompasses concert music, film music, songwriting and improvisation, music for theatre, installation, live events, and radio.

Mark Donnelly

An exceptionally versatile vocalist, Mark was a permanent member of the Song Company from 1997 to 2019 and is currently a Lay Clerk at St Mary’s Cathedral Choir in Sydney.

Jenny Duck-Chong

With a career spanning more than twenty-five years, mezzo-soprano Jenny Duck-Chong has established herself as a versatile and intelligent musician with extensive experience in a broad range of classical repertoire.

Alison Morgan

Soprano Alison Morgan is one of Australia’s foremost interpreters of contemporary classical vocal music, with a career spanning more than 25 years.


Press quote

“Cast in four movements, each alluding to elemental forces – ‘Light’, ‘Water’, ‘Blood’ and ‘Fire’ – its engagement with ritual is more appositely realised in music that moves between hypnotising incantatory intensity, often mesmerising moments of beauty, and episodes of compelling drama.”

Read full review

— Michael Quinn, Limelight

Track Listing

    Threading the Light Felicity Wilcox

  1. I. Light
  2. II. Water
  3. III. Blood
  4. IV. Fire

Performers

Where to buy

Threading the Light is available for download from the iTunes Music Store.
It's available for streaming through Apple Music.

Threading the Light is available as as CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer secure online ordering.

Move CDs can be ordered through music retailers across Australia including Readings.

Product details

List price
$25.00 AUD
Release date
November 2022
Copyright
© 2022 Felicity Wilcox
Phonogram
℗ 2022 Move Records
Category
Classical
Catalogue number
MCD 636
Alternate catalogue number
MCD636
Barcode
EAN 9314574063622