Sirens of the Pack Ice

Composed for the Cities and Memory Polar Sounds Project, with samples of the antarctic Ross Seal.

The Ross seal’s remarkable vocalizations reminded me of the seductive wails of the mythic sirens that taunted Odysseus during his return to Ithaca, rising and falling over a surprising range of pitches. The short sample, played at various speeds between original and half-speed, is processed to make the foundation for a fictional and multilayered underwater soundscape, collaged together from various natural and electronic sources (and also including the vocalizations of Weddell seals). I composed and recorded a new composition for solo khaen and placed it within this imaginative soundscape, crafting dialogue between the music and the elements of the imaginary sonic environment.

The piece may be performed with or without fixed media or electronics.

score PDF + fixed media file
$10

All scores are published by 

 (ASCAP) and © Christopher Adler (ASCAP)