Going to the church at night

A year ago
End of summer 2017 I could attend for the first time MUTEK Montreal. I had the full pass and got equally excited and disappointed. But that's normal, if you can see almost all the program, you can't like all, worst case you leave or wait for the next show, best case you are hypnotised by what you see, listen, experience. This happened two or three times, one of them was at the Metropolis before it changed its name with a performance from Canadian artist Sara Davachi.

I did what I usually do after discovering a new musical universe, I listen. Spotify, BandCamp, Soundcloud you name it to immerse myself in this new world to check if this live performance did happen by chance or if there is really something I feel connected to.

This year now
End of summer 2018, the artist is coming back to Montreal at the occasion of a Redbull Music Festival a the Triptyque event, playing in a church Le Gesu. Three performances on the program, I will attend two. Screenshot of my ticket on my phone I enter the church shortly before 8pm.

Immediat wahou effect while entering the space, it's dark, many ray of lights simulating sun light penetrating the space, fake grass on the nave where the benches have been removed, a lot of foliage and greenery on stage. The performing artists are on three levels, ground, first floor and second level where the organ is located. The first show has a string quartet playing on the ground, two dancers, an organ player and a choir. It's attended, no big surprise but it sets the mood properly.

Live mixing and hypnotic body
Second show is the reason I show up. Sara Davachi is playing the pipe organ, a musician is playing French horn below, a cello player and voice on the ground. If the organ/horn and cello players are facing the audience the artist using her voice as instrument has her denuded back turned toward us. Closing your eyes the sounds coming from all these sources is tangling harmoniously, opening your eyes watching the singer shoulder and back moving, initiating the sounds is really impressive and beautiful.

Always a pleasure to witness the fusion between a musician and his/her instrument, when the artist is the instrument it's something else.I leave the church full of sounds waves and images in my head. Follow by a stop at a whiskey bar to open the soon coming autumn season and continuing the discussion with another musician, it's getting colder but the bike ride home under the moon light along the canal is pretty ok.