Genevieve Lacey is preparing to breathe new life into the oldest known piece of notated music.

Created in collaboration with violinist and composer Erkki Veltheim, Consort of the Moon reaches back to ancient times, inviting its audience to join in the timeless tradition of song in a live electroacoustic performance tracing a line across millennia. It will have its world premiere in Melbourne’s RISING Festival, staged in the “wintry twilight” of the Fitzroy Gardens.

Consort of the Moon

Consort of the Moon promotional image. Photo supplied

Ahead of its debut, Lacey talks to Limelight about the work, how it will be presented, and how its audience can participate in one of the earliest recorded acts of human creativity.

How did Consort of the Moon come about?

For years now, I’ve been dreaming about a communal vocal gathering that happens outdoors somewhere beautiful at twilight. Audience and performers gently held by sound. I wanted to create an experience which invites participants to listen, and, if they wish, to contribute in simple, delicate ways. Set outdoors, enveloped in the sounds of the natural world, the encounter might help us to attend and tend to...