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Oodnadatta Who

from Vox Shak by Anne M Norman

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Oodnadatta Who- an existential duo for one. © Anne M Norman 2019
dedicated to Dr Le Tuan Hung

This shakuhachi composition by Anne Norman features alternating and simultaneously sung and blown elements, ever-changing metres, and fast polyphonic passages. A contemplative oasis of shifting timbres and portamento brings a moment of respite in the midst of playful hocketing rhythms filled with existential riddles. Sustained notes on shakuhachi and voice provide an opportunity to revel in microtonal interference, alluding to shifting mental states, shimmering mirages and the throbbing heat of a desert.

Elements of this piece began when camping in desert country on the Oodnadatta Track* in 2016. Experimenting with ideas for playing shakuhachi while singing, I jotted down a list of words that worked well for initiating and sustaining blown tones. Unintentionally, the piece began to ask impossible questions… Who knows where? Who knows how? Who, How, When? Recording this work in early 2020, unanticipated meanings emerged within the global angst of COVID-19.

* The Oodnadatta track is an unsealed road passing through desert country in the north of South Australia. The name is derived from the Arrernte language, utnadata meaning “mulga blossom.” (Wikipedia)

Photo by Dan Hayley of Anne on Lake Eyre, by the side of the Oodnadatta track.

Anne also scored this work for flute at the suggestion of Lisbon flautist Katherine Rawdon. Katherine and Anne worked on the scoring for flute while in lockdown on either sides of the globe in early 2020. Katherine plans to release a recording of Oodnadatta Who performed on flute in 2022.

lyrics

Lyrics (by Anne Norman)

hu, hu, Who? hu, hu…
wee-ii-yuu, hu, hu, hu…
who, her, he; who, he, her
him, me, her; who, he, we
Hey!

hu tu, hu tu, du du?
Oo-d-na-dat-ta, Oodnadatta…
in the flow, as we go flying, trying,
in the flow, I don’t know
when to go flying,
crying, lying, sighing
… dying
Who to ask?

hu, hu, who?
who knows where?
who knows how?
Who, how, when?

Who?
who to, who to, who
du, du, du, du
Why?

Oo-d-na-dat-ta, Oodnadatta…
in the flow, as we go flying,
lying… I don’t
know when to go flying,
crying…
Why die trying?

du Who?
du, du, du, du When?
du, du, du, du How?
du, du, du…
Who?
How, when?

credits

from Vox Shak, released March 24, 2022
performed by Anne Norman on 2.0 shakuhachi

recorded by Al Future at The Chapel Studio in Hobart

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all rights reserved

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Anne M Norman Melbourne, Australia

Anne is a shakuhachi player performing in a wide range of music. Anne trained in Japan in 3 lineages with Nakamura Shindo, Tajima Tadashi and Yamaguchi Goro. She has played since 1986 (following 14 years of playing silver flute). Some of Anne's albums are available as Compact Disks.
CD orders: absurdpublications.com/products-in-shop/cds/ ... more

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