“Mowhoush was shoved head first into a sleeping bag, wrapped with electrical cord and rolled from his stomach to his back.” Presented in a single, 27 minute long track, Sleeper is Neil’s first recorded major ensemble work. Sleeper was Inspired by the torture and wrongful death of an Iraqi general by U.S. forces in Iraq. Drawing on many of the techniques used in Neil’s solo work, Sleeper makes dramatic use of timbre and sound. From the subtle, suspended pitches in the opening statements to the aggressive, thick harmonic textures to come, Sleeper is a work that mirrors its dark narrative. This piece was composed while living in seclusion on Whidbey Island in 2010, and later finished in Seattle in early 2011. Sleeper features many of Neil’s long time T&C collaborators.

credits

released 08 November 2011
The Sleeper Ensemble is:
Neil Welch, tenor and soprano
Ivan Arteaga, alto and soprano
Jesse Canterbury, bass clarinet
Vincent LaBelle, trombone
David Balatero, cello
Natalie Hall, cello