Tales were born from popular beliefs and were transmitted from generation to generation. Whether it’s the Three Little Piggies, the Little Mermaid, or the Emperor’s New Clothes, the stories help people understand their daily struggles. Brussels Vocal Project decided to put these tales in music by collaborating with American composer John Hollenbeck and the drummer Moritz Baumgärtner. The idea is to translate old familiar forms of expression into today’s realm. Story-wise, Brussels Vocal Project proposes to shed a new light on the tales by viewing them from a different angle through texts of Elsa Grégoire, Anu Junnonen and François Vaiana. John Hollenbeck will support this idea by revisiting an ancient instrumentation, probably the oldest, which is drums and voices.
VOICES // Elsa Grégoire, Anu Junnonen, François Vaiana, Gabriel Hahn, Sarah Klenes
DRUMS// Moritz Baumgärtner
© Marie-Françoise Plissart – all the pictures illustrating the tales.
fish on land
text: anu junnonen // music john hollenbeck
One foolish dreamer, you want a soul that lives forever You go without a farewell, closing deals with the devil A few salty bubbles of the sea, that's all you'll end up to be Brave but stupid young thing By the sun and the moon I’ll be mourning A fish on land, body aching gasping for breath A fish on land, want a soul that lives forever A fish on land, that's not the way of the Mother Nature Little daughter of mine, are you ready to leave all behind? Conquer hearts and scale positions, travel at will then make decisions A wild heart and a thirst for love, Granny dear, that’s all I’ve got I’m falling in love with life that’s elsewhere That man is not my kind but we breathe the same air The happy people in their villages and castles, I long to walk though the wildling’s land. Goodbye sisters, goodbye father Farewell to the dolphins and the seaweed grown wrecks The morning is cold and everyone’s asleep I swim to the shore and drink the magic potion that will set me free
the prime minister’s new art
text: elsa gregoire // music: john hollenbeck
Curator: "Subjects A, B and C, these are artworks, you see? Now tell me dear Sir, which one will it be?" Narrator: Subject A as he saw, was as tall as a tree. A gigantic white canvas with not much to see. Staff: "A dot and a line, you need it!" Prime Minister: "A dot and a line… oh, now I see it!" Narrator: Subject B as he saw was as small as a pin A clean little jar and inside one hair. Staff: "A hair in a jar, you need it!" Prime Minister: "A hair in a jar… oh, now I get it!" Narrator: Subject C, or so he thought, was of modest proportions. As red a cherry and black as the night. Here was his next buy displayed in plain sight. Prime Minister: "I dare say, dear Ma’am What an exquisite work! How much for this sculpture?How much for this piece?" Curator: "Oh my prime minister what an excellent choice! One sees without doubt your most clairvoyant nature. Yet this subject has no price." Narrator: From subjects A, B and C He did not choose you see. The fire extinguisher is missing from the gallery. And the prime minister’s happy, just happy to be.
miss misunderstood
TEXT: FRANÇOIS VAIANA // MUSIC: JOHN HOLLENBECK
I am miss misunderstood I am, I didn't mean to hurt my little man, I made my daughter cry, Left them with no goodbye. You see, they were better off without their momma, they were better off without their monster, they were better off without me. The bakery had no bread, the butcher's meat seemed suspect. No one at the supermarket could tell me if the food arrived yet. I couldn't forget the sound of their empty stomachs, yelling screaming: 'Mom is dinner ready yet?' I wanted to forget. Get it out of my head. I had to leave this town. Thinking about what I did had got me loosing my mind.
the nightingale / jenny
text: elsa gregoire // music: john hollenbeck
A.I. Kimmy had an optimized design
She walked like Jenny
And she talked like Jenny
For both those things were embedded in her mind
She was the better version of Jenny
The version that never sleeps and never eats
The human was replaced by the robot
Prototype 2.0 A.I.Kimmy launching.processor.Extel
= Code BZ alpha/ A2D { sighing }
= code HXVar.DRC { blushing }
rebooting.recovery.systems for A.I. Prototype 1.9 for the following characteristics:
= { sympathy } ^ { care } ^ { empathy }
erasing code AJ2var --^{ prying } + DF7altBeta --^{ lying }
the nightingale // a.I. Kimmy
text: john hollenbeck & elsa gregoire // music: john hollenbeck
FONT NIB OAK GUM KA MUG GET EST OR // HANNAH SONG POWAFU HAKAWELL KIOESFU FUESUKI USKADU MAM NAM LANADUAH DJA DET DIT UK UK UK UK UK UK HUTOTOTO TOTOTOTO TOTOTOTO // EH-O EH-O-FAFA FAFAFAFA I KIMMY KIM-MY RO-BOT BOT BOT-BOT MAMAMAMA-MA BLU-BLI-BLU-BLI-BLU BLI-BLU-BLI BLU-BLI-BLU-BLI BLU-BLI BLU BOT BOT-BOT SASA SASASASA SASASASA SASA // UUU-SCMUSCH SCMUSCH SCMUSCH SCMUSCH SCMUSCH SCHMUSCH SCMUSCH-DU HÉ HÉ KIKIKIKI KIKIKIKI ASK-ISK-ÜSK-OSK ASK-ISK-ÜSK-OSK ASK-ISK ÜSKOS WADAWADAWADA WAH! JOHN-KUH BIDI-BIDI-BIDIBAH BIDI-BIDI-BIDIBAH-HUUUH // WAUW WAUW WAUW WAUW WAUW SINKA FLU KWASH KWASH KWASH MIKA-MIKA-MIKA MIKA-MIKA-MI KAMI-KAMI UŠCHGMÁ UŠCHGMÁ UŠCHGMÁ LA’H-LA’H-LA’H-LA’H-LA’H LA’ H HAGÉ HEGÓ HOGÁ ZA-ZA WAI-WAI-WAI-WAI TR-RR-RR-RR-RAH! HEG-HUG-HEG HEG-HUG-HEG-HUG HEG-HUG // ÖRDA-ÖRDA-ÖR DAÖR-DAÖR DAÖR GEESCH GOES GEESCH GOES FLAFLAFLAFLA FLAFLAFLAFLA FLAFLAFLAFLA LEEF-LEEF-LEEF-LEEF LEEF-LEEF FOND FOND-FOND-FOND FOND-FOND // AK’AK’AK’AK AK’AK’AK’AK AK’AK’AK’AK DEESCH-DEESCH-DEESCH DEESCH-DEESCH-DEESCH MONTENS MONTENS SPA MONTENS MONTENS SPA MONTENS MONTENS SPA SPA-ÄP-ÄP-ÄP ÄP-ÄP-ÄP-ÄP OAK GUM KÁ MUG GET EST OR GUL ÄNG FUNT NIB
three little piggies
text: françois vaiana // music: john hollenbeck
Three little piggies in the middle of the woods Would you make a house of bricks, would you make a house of sticks, would you make a house with straws of strawberries? If you're merry in the woods, you'll be buried in the woods One big bad wolf doesn't give a little damn, he already ate a crow, three deer and a lamb He huffs and then he puffs and then he takes it to the ground. Hey you little piggy, what's your name? ”My name is Samy El Ham and I'm from Amsterdam. I built my house in the woods for lack of livelihood.” But your house is made of straws, what about the wolf's claws? "They say the world will fall and turn into a brawl, But I will stay in the shade with a glass of lemonade.” Hey you little piggy, what's your name? "I am Daisy Von Bacon from the city of Macon. And I moved to the forest 'cause I'm not a conformist.” But your house of sticks won't survive the wolf's kicks. "I want to fight the fight, but the time isn't right, 'Cause it's way more comfortable in my red convertible.” Daisy the piggy ain't no more. Now mister wolf is looking for another door. Hey you little piggy, what's your name? "I am Rufus Le Pork from Upper East New York Now I'm closer the nature in a perfect rapture.” Your house is made of bricks, but the wolf has bag of tricks. "I was scared of the city, everything looked so gritty, So I built a wall to practice yoga and feel safe in my toga.” Rufus the piggy, Daisy the piggy, Sammy the piggy ain't no more Now mister wolf is banging at your own front door!
green lady
text: elsa gregoire // music: john hollenbeck
Bells are ringing over this blasted city, open your window and take a peak. Do you see the green lady? I won’t stay shy, no I won’t stay put, I see you cry, but watch me float; How I glide, how I soar through the cold. I won’t see what you want, I won’t be what you see I’ll see rivers, I’ll see rooftops, I’ll see welcoming arms and flying charms. None of which you’ve seen for you have yet to wander "I used to care for traffic, I used to care for signs, I used to care for tactics, I used to see the lines" From dusk till dawn I’ll follow her trail: the green lady For now I know where my future lies. Tinkering with life her shiny star is one to seek. And through a pipe I’ll fly to our motherland - where you have yet to follow.
red
text: elsa gregoire & françois vaiana // music: john hollenbeck
Grandmother: Red, I left a note in your basket Red, you need more than food for the trip Red, there are wolves in the streets Red, they’ll always growl and sneer Red, their barks are worse than their bites Red, they‘re scared of your strength Red, they’ll huff and puff but you won’t break Red, i know you dear, trust your judgment Red, when in doubt think of grandma’s eyes Red, just walk on by, your head held high Red, don’t hide under your hood. Red, dare to be red The wolves: Red, where are you going? Red, wait, come over here! Red, they call me Big Bad Red, check out my fangs Red, I got all the fur you need Red, take off your hood Red, let me see those raspberry lips Red, you got a pretty little basket Red, can I grab an apple? Red, look at you, cutie Red, stop playing with me Red, you know you want this
MODERN TALES 