A musical celebration of karst landscapes and caves at the intersection of science and art.
Performed by the Académie vocale de Suisse romande
under the direction of Dominique Tille.
Free entrance / Sunday 30th of August 8-9pm
Program
- Francis Volery. Autant le temps
- Villar. Sur les pas de la Lune
- Caroline Charrière. Flowers
- A presentation of Inception Horizon
by the composer Norah Constance Walsh and Prof. Laurence Gill - Norah Constance Walsh. Inception Horizon
© Photo: Grégoire Fillion
Inception horizon – Inspired by adventures at the Devil’s Punchbowl, Kinvara and deep inside Sliabh Elva, and guided by the insightful scientific explanations of Dr. Laurence Gill, this work follows the path of atmospheric water above the lowlands of County Clare, through the soil and into the layers of rock that lie beneath. It seeps, drips and then gains traction, creating and passing through various pathways with its laminar and then increasingly turbulent flow. Over time it carves out a vast cave before finding its way back to the air via a spring.
The concept of an inception horizon features strongly in the music of the work – this is the crucial point that facilitates the initial passage of water and then stretches out like a constant ceiling above further descending erosion. Whispers of the corrosive forces at work echo in the space against an overall trajectory of descent, until the final upwards rush when you can breathe again.
Composer – Norah Constance Walsh is a composer, musical director and musician based in Dublin, Ireland. A first class honours graduate from the DIT Conservatory she has studied under numerous renowned international composers. Norah’s choral and ensemble works have been performed across Ireland and Europe and she is a winner of the Seán O’Ríada Choral Composition Competition and UNESCO Earth Futures Awards. In her compositions Norah draws from contemporary classical, traditional Irish and popular genres; her themes focus on current issues and the natural world.
Director – Dominique Tille is one of today’s leading specialists in choral art. Trained in choral conducting at the Geneva Conservatory under Michel Corboz and at the Berlin University of the Arts, he has founded and conducted choirs in Switzerland and abroad. An actor, singer, and director, he has expanded the Western Swiss choral scene by bringing together choral music, theatre, musicals, and pop. Known for his versatility, sensitivity, and respect for different musical styles, he regularly collaborates on a wide range of productions and concerts. At the Académie vocale de Suisse romande, he combines high musical standards with theatre and movement, offering an open and multifaceted approach to vocal art that breaks down the boundaries between genres.
Choir – The Académie vocale de Suisse romande (AVSR) is a professional chamber choir bringing together singers and emerging professionals from across French-speaking Switzerland. Founded in 2009 by Renaud Bouvier and Dominique Tille, the ensemble focuses on 20th- and 21st-century choral music, with a particular commitment to contemporary works and world premieres. Combining musical excellence with innovative concert formats, the AVSR explores connections between music, history, eras, and unexpected venues. Recognized as a bold and dynamic presence in the region’s musical landscape, it regularly collaborates with leading cultural institutions and artistic organizations across French-speaking Switzerland.
Laurence Gill is a Chair of Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin. He is one of the Principal Investigators who lead Ireland’s first Applied Geoscience research centre (iCRAG) and heads the Groundwater research spoke which focuses on karst hydrology. He is currently a Lead Author helping to draft the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers for emissions from wastewater.
Supported by
- The city of Neuchâtel
- Loterie Romande
- The Eurokarst conference