RAGNHEIÐUR ERLA BJÖRNSDÓTTIR
composer — vocal artist — artistic researcher
YOUNG VOICES OF LUCERNE
MANIFESTO: KYRR
Lucerne Festival Forward, 16/11/2023
There are three rules to this vocal sculpture:
1. Everything that happens during a vocal sculpture is supposed to happen. There are no mistakes. If a performer gifts the vocal sculpture with a musical surprise, we welcome it joyfully and create room for it by continuing to sing while exploring this new vocal material with curiosity. We are skilled improvisers that are constantly finding new vocal sounds, creating new melodies and sculpting soundscapes in all our togetherness.
2. The people who are included in this vocal sculpture are exactly the people who are needed for this performance. We are eight as one. We are a community of voices who support each other. Every voice is important and necessary for the outcome of precisely this vocal sculpture. If one voice would be taken out, the results would be different.
3. We are magnets to each other. This vocal sculpture moves and exists as one being. We are constantly listening to each other. We all have important roles and we are always aware of who is leading at each moment of the vocal sculpture. We are awake and strong in our leadership. We have complete trust in ourselves and others when completing a task.
Together, our voices and presence form a vocal sculpture. We are wind, we are ocean. We are masters of uncountable languages. We are creative, beautiful and wonderfully weird. We are here – exactly where we are supposed to be. We enter the room with our voices; strong, soft, loud and clear.
Now, you must listen closely – because we are the young voices of Lucerne.
Current Structure of Performance
Intro: Walking 1
Sculpture 1
Sculpture 3
Heavy wind/bird/ocean sounds
Syllable language solo (Leonie)
- Lena Baer joins with syllable language
- Marilu joins with notes
Deconstructed Poetry solo (Kelvin)
Lena Sophia ends the performance
ROLES
Walking leader: Olivia
Conductor: Lena Sophia
Tuning fork: Elina + Lena Sophia
First alto entrance: Lena Alexandra
Vocal Wave solo: Marilu + Lena Baer
Begin of wind: Olivia
Syllable language solo: Leonie
Deconstructed Poetry solo: Kelvin
Welcoming the audience: Lena Baer
KKL
This is the pathway we will walk. On 1:43, we start the first sculpture.
Then, Lena Sophia leads group 1 down the stairs closer to you.
At the location you see at 3:31, we start the second sculpture.
After the first sculpture, Olivia leads group 2 down the stairs further away from you.
At the location you see at 1:25, we start the second sculpture.
Verkehrshaus
About the Project
This is a co-creative composition project aiming to create a vocal sculpture using experimental vocal techniques, deconstructed text and movement. The vocalists participating are invited to bring their unique voices and ideas to shape the outcome of the vocal sculpture during the workshop.
The vocal sculpture is called 'kyrr' and will be presented before each concert at Lucerne Festival Forward.
The Score

Practical Information
CONTACTS
Erla: ragnheidurerlab@gmail.com / +436764938737
Mark: m.sattler@lucernefestival.ch / +4917643243068
Workshops
Die Workshops mit Erla finden vom Montag, 13. Nov. bis Donnerstag, 16. Nov. jeweils von 18.00 bis 20.00 Uhr im Inseliquai 12B (Foyer der Hochschule Luzern - Soziale Arbeit, im Gebäude des Radisson) statt. Sie finden die Details zu den Workshops, sowie einen Situationsplan im Anhang.
Aufführungen
Die Aufführungen von «Vocal Sculpture» finden vor jedem der vier Konzerte statt. Zuvor gibt es jeweils ein kurzes Warm Up. Gerne hier die Details / Zeiten dazu:
FR, 17. November 2023 | Filmtheater Verkehrshaus
18.30 Warm Up
19.00-19.15 Performance (Konzertbeginn 19.30 Uhr)
SA, 18. November 2023 | KKL, Konzertsaal
17.30 Warm Up 1
18.00-18.15 Performance 1 (Konzertbeginn 18.30 Uhr)
21.00 Warm Up 2
21.30-21.45 Performance 2 (Konzertbeginn 22.00 Uhr)
SO, 19. November 2023 | KKL, Konzertsaal
17.30 Warm Up
18.00-18.15 Performance (Konzertbeginn 18.30 Uhr)
Mood Board
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