A windmill is one of the most characteristic and vital machines in the Dutch landscape and an unusual choice for contemporary music theater performances. Many are monuments and ‘turn for the prince’ aka for beauty, but so many remain busy pumping water, grinding grain or sawing wood. We are fortunate to be able to perform with one of these windmills Utrecht soon!
On September 8th at 17:00 we will present “De stem van de molen / The voice of the windmill”, for harp, windmill, and wind during the Gaudeamus Muziekweek, one of the most important festivals for young composers in the Netherlands. With miller Marloes Stofferis, theater-maker harpist Iris van der Ende and yours truly with electronics, we will give the sawmill “De Ster” a chance to sing. See Facebook event
Since the first experiments with tying loudspeakers to the wings and letting them turn with the wind, the results have been fascinating. Sometimes the weather gives us a perfect wind with enough strength to turn and not wipe out all of the music coming out. Sometimes the clouds add their own spectacle to this giant with an undaunted harpist at its feet. (Thus we created a dialogue with harp and mill.) Sometimes the wind is so weak that I have to push the wings to get them started, so I’m very curious what Aeolus will have in store for us in two weeks.
Here is an official trailer of the project, although it will be a black saw mill “De Ster” in Utrecht where we will perform.
Did you feel the wind today?
Onwards and upwards,
Yvonne