Work
STEMMEN
for soprano, saxophone, violin, harp, piano and audience
About
STEMMEN explores “the possibilities of inclusive democracy not only amongst the musicians, but also for the public.” As such, decision making is “shared throughout the group, and musicians are invited at various moments to take responsibility for the timing and colouring of a section. In what I am calling an ‘adaptive notation environment’, space has been left within the parts of the musicians for their contribution to the musical material. It is my hope that the performers will be willing for their notes to become part of the score for a future performance and that the score will thus evolve to incorporate musical input from the musicians.”
A short text from Kate Shepherd is sung throughout STEMMEN: ‘All that separates, whether of race, class, creed or sex is inhuman, and must be overcome’ - and soprano Barbara Paterson invites the audience to share in its singing at the end of the work.
Dedication note
Written for Stroma on the celebration of 125 years of women’s suffrage in Aotearoa/NZ (Suffrage 125)
Text note
Text by Kate Shepherd