Syrup and Silicone (2020) for Divisi Chamber Singers
(SSAATTBB choir and piano)
Syrup and Silicone is a work centred on the narrative of internal standards within the queer community – reflecting on past experiences of being told “you’re not gay enough”, “you’re not really gay” and so on.
The queer community is a such a beautiful, vibrant one with so many diverse people – like a rich, sweet syrup. Yet, what has also been fostered within is internal marginalisation and a certain adhesive, plastic fakeness – like silicone. The work is highly personal and aims to call into question the irony of such an accepting community that concurrently can create such a sense and need to still conform to a set of criteria, instead of thriving in our individuality.
For me, my sexuality as a gay man is a part of my identity, but by no means my whole identity and I believe it is paramount to let anyone within the queer community freely determine that themselves.
The work was commissioned by Divisi Chamber Singers and Sally Whitwell as part of the inaugural 2020 “Compose Queer” Initiative in February 2020, and received its premiere 28th FEB 2021 at 75 Reid Street Fitzroy North.
The work sets commissioned poetry for this project by Naarm (Melbourne, AUS) based artist, writer and theatre practitioner Savanna Wegman, a close colleague and friend.
Set Text Excerpt from the poem “Palm Reading”
My Hands are wide open
They read soft perfumed palms, primed for an encounter.
Searchlights that look too closely, (for) too long
Smooth me into marble, a figure I can’t recognise
I wait for calm and comfort in the dawn,
Suspended in syrup and silicone
Savanna Wegman, March 2020
Performers: Divisi Chamber Singers & Coady Green
Score Cover Art by: Lucinda McIntyre
*Now featured in Divisi Chamber Singers’ 2022 Debut Album “Spectrum” - the first Australian fully queer/LGBTQIA+ classical music album with local composers & text.
