Tower of Silence

Performance, August 2000, St Norbert Arts Center.

Tower of Silence was a performance for 2 vocalists, 5 performers, and a prerecorded audio tape. The piece was a reaction to the history of the site of an abandoned Trappist Monastery and the monks who once inhabited it. It was accompanied by the laughter of 30 roses that were positioned in a garden at the base of the 42-foot letter H that was constructed of scaffolding. The performers dug deep into the ground and climbed up and over the top of the ruin while the 2 vocalists performed the 49-minute score, which used music and lyrics to reference the political and social power of the voice.

Vocalists: Kathleen Yearwood, Debbie Patterson
Performers: Diana Campanaro, Lori Freedman, Rita McKeough, Kim Truchan
Louise May – Curator