Rivers are our brothers: MAJEL CONNERY + FELIX FAN
Photo by Karjaka Studios
The Rivers are our Brothers is an electronic song cycle on ecological responsibility, told from the point of view of the land. Based on a letter from Chief Seattle that urges us to think of the earth as kin, the songs take a first-person view of nature: rocks sing about their mothers, and snowflakes tell about their hearts of sand.
"The goal of this music is to give nature a voice" says composer-performer Majel Connery, “but this isn’t music for a cute nature documentary. I want to stop people in their tracks and show them the world like they’ve never seen it: technicolor and alive.”
Re-recorded in Sept 2023 at the legendary Electrical Audio with Steve Albini, Connery’s latest revision of Rivers features electric cellist Felix Fan. “People love to imagine that there are other, sci-fi worlds — and there are! We just have to listen.”
About the artists:
Majel Connery is a composer, performer, podcaster and musicologist. Her voice has been called “superb” by the New York Times and her music “thoroughly Schubertian” by the Wall Street Journal. She has appeared on Radiolab, Kennedy Center Live, and New Sounds radio. Connery is the host and producer of A Music of Their Own, an interview podcast on women in music on NPR. Connery has taught at UC Berkeley, Stanford and Princeton, and will begin working with Musicambia teaching songwriting in prisons this fall.
Felix Fan has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham and Janos Starker in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Musikverein and Royal Festival Hall. Fan's interest in contemporary music has led to collaborations with today's leading composers including George Crumb, Tan Dun, Hans Werner Henze, Oliver Knussen, Kaija Saariaho and Charles Wuorinen. He appears frequently as a solo artist and with FLUX Quartet.
Technical requirements (stage plot/rider here):
Show duration: 1 hour (flexible)
We appreciate parking passes where needed, access to green room & water and meals. For local or U.S. shows, we can bring a small, portable PA system — please inquire.
Input list:
Majel: 2 XLR out from DI (1 lead vox + FX, 1 synth + bass)
Felix: 1/4-in out (cello)
We bring:
Majel: Beta 58a mic, TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2, 2 Yamaha Reface synths + FX pedals
Felix: electric cello, FX pedals
We need:
PA (for vocals)
amp for cello
full-range amp for synth + bass sounds
at least 1 monitor
keyboard stand
mic stand w/ boom
music stand
chair or stool (Felix)
carpet strip or rough surface (for cello pin)
power/extension cords, DIs as needed, appropriate cables, etc
