
Prognostic Hymns
2025
9 mins
for 2 performers, projection, electronics
"s ɰʃqʼʃkʼɻ kʼθɰsqʼʃ ʍʒ kʼsː ʛsːɕqʼβːɻ ɕʃʡ͜ʢʃɽ͡r̥ɬʡ͜ʢ skʼʃɰʡʼkʼ kʼsː ɧʃːɻ s ʡʼfʃɬkʼ ɧsː ʃʛʡ͜ʢʃʢkʼʢ fʟ̝̊kʼʢfʃqʼ θɕ ɧs ʢkʼsʟ̝̊ʡʼ θɕ ɧs ʍʒːkʼ , fɬqʼ ʃɬʼ ɧsːɰ ɧfʃ ɰskʼ ɕʒːʢkʼ kʼsɰ kʼsː qʼʃɻʃːɕ . ɧfʟ̝̊ʃɕsʕ , βːɻ ʃʡ͜ʢ ɬʼθkʼ fʡ͜ʢ ʃkʼ ʢʃːɰʡ͜ʢ , ɬʼfʟ̝̊ ɧfkʼ ɧʃʢ ʢʃɬθʡʼʢʃʢ ʃʡ͜ʢ ʕʃɕʃːɻqʼ kʼsː qʼʃː ʃɬkʼsʕʃkʼkʼ"
"A medical-comedy where two goofball physicians attempt to heal a patient who exists outside of the scope of the work, and in whom they must first come to believe. However, all is not as it seems, now that this synopsis is revealed to be incorrect. [sic] - not to be said to be found under Melodic Synopses Pertaining to, Scrutinized and Subsequently Not Exuding From the Prognostic Hymnal. Or rather, not in the end. Instead passing euphemistically and ambulatory by, in repose, awake, or else taken in raptorial fashion."

The work Prognostic Hymns presents two performers dressed in Zanni/Witchdoctor costumes, equipped with wearable speakers and modified encyclopedias that contain amplifiers and the score. Set in a fictional phonetic language centered around guttural and voiceless sounds, the seven hymns of the composition are expressed through both auditory and hieroglyphic forms, turning the language into a gestural ritual.
In the composition, harmonic and spectral templates of the different phonetics are synthesized and layered using machine-learning voice generators, transforming the two vulture-like figures into ominous oracles channeling a cacophony of voices.

Prognostic Hymns was commissioned by K!ART;
support from KODA and Dansk Komponistforening
Excerpts/Samples - Playback

