E U S T A C H I A - for 20 Voices

Former title: Earchestra

Jacob Kirkegaard © 2016. Duration 20 minutes

Eustachia - for 20 Voices (or Earchestra) is a vocal work composed from tones generated in the inner ear. These tones, called spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (or SOAE), are produced - without external stimulation - in the ears of some people. Whereas the combinations of tones emitted from one ear can be dissonant, microtonal and complex, tones emitted from the other ear can be harmonious and 'in tune'. Each emitting ear produces something akin to an acoustic fingerprint; these are the basis of the composition

As part of his residency as Sound Artist at St John's College (University of Oxford) in 2016, Jacob Kirkegaard recorded and collected tones generated inside the ears of students and staff from a wide number of different colleges at Oxford. These recorded 'ear chords' were filtered, analyzed, and then interpreted for voices. The work connects two intimate organs of our body: the ear and the throat. The ears are the composers, the throat and mouth are the performers

Earchestra was presented by the 20 individuals whose ears produced the tones, live at the Chapel of St. John's College, University of Oxford, March 2016.

Performed by: Electra Lyhne-Gold, Rosie Mullan, Sophie Sparkes, Louise Tidmarsh, Daisy Smith, Sofia Kirwan-Baez, Harriet Aspin, Mary Curwen, Lottie Field, Jacqui Usiskin, Rachel Spaulding, Charlotte Crowe, Eric Foster, Nathan Geyer, Ben Woodmansee, Rufus Rock, David McFarlane, Katinka Fogh Vindelev and Jacob Kirkegaard

Composed by Jacob Kirkegaard
- with voice and arrangement supervision by Katinka Fogh Vindelev

Jacob would like to thank Professor Jason Stanyek, the Chaplain at St. John's, Elizabeth McFarlane, David Line, Oliver Warner & staff at the Estates Office, and to the wonderful and committed participants of the Earchestra choir and to everyone who had their ears recorded