Three singers talk about the art of singing through The Wolf in the Voice, presented as part of the Tarragon Theatre season. A co-presentation of Nightswimming, it’s part of an ongoing effort to explore the vocal arts and the human voice, and a further development of work begun in previous shows.
The Wolf in the Voice was created with — and also featuring in performance — Neema Bickersteth, Jane Miller, and Taurian Teelucksingh, with associate artist Thom Allison.
We spoke to vocalists Neema Bickersteth, Jane Miller and Taurian Teelucksingh about the upcoming performance.
The Wolf in the Voice: The Interview
The show was created by Martin Julien and Brian Quirt, (who also co-direct), and its title comes from an expression that refers to the way the voice can reach a point where it breaks. It represents the singer at their most vulnerable point, whether that break comes from changing registers, aging, or simply pushing beyond its range.
As the three performers share their own stories about the wolf and how they’ve dealt with vulnerability in performance, the audience gains insight into both the technical and emotional aspects of singing. It’s also about negotiating those vulnerable areas in all of our lives.
What can people expect from the unusual performance?
“Well, it’s a trio, and we’re talking personal stories about our voice, and we sing a lot,” as soprano Neema Bickersteth states simply.
“I think people can expect an invitation, for them to reimagine everything they knew about the voice,” adds Taurian Teelucksingh.
All three emphasize the importance of active listening, no matter what the genre.
Jane Miller adds, “That’s sort of the goal or the purpose of the piece.”
As Miller points out, the piece has been in development for some time. “I think that this piece has been developed over many, many years.” Different singers would use different repertoire, and of course their struggles are unique. The stories of dealing with the wolf in the voice aren’t always positive. Sometimes, it’s the story of how you blew it.
“I’ve been involved almost since the beginning,” Miller says. That’s more than a decade at this point.
Talking About Singing
“I think this piece does a wonderful job of marrying the technicality of singing, and the sensibility of how to make a career out of this art form,” explains Teelucksingh.
That’s not to say it’s at all dry or academic. The flow is dramatic, and the performances dynamic. “We explore any and all styles of music,” he says.
Singing is at once ubiquitous and something of a mystery to many non-singers.
“The word mystery comes up in this show,” Miller says. The show’s creators look to peel back the layers between the polished performance you experience from the stage, and what it takes to get to that level of performance. “Other folks, who are not professionals, will get a sense of what that takes.”
As a poorly understood process, people have a tendency to also devalue the art of singing. “As if it’s nothing,” Miller says. “It’s both mysterious and devalued.”
“It’s not a singing lesson,” Bickersteth adds, “but we are talking about the parts […] inside your throat, and what they do.”
Storytelling is the mode that allows for discussion of topics like pedagogical arguments about registers to connect with the audience. “That’s an in,” Neema says. “It brings everyone in. Everyone has some kind of relationship to voice.”
As Bickersteth points out, voice is not only connected to singing. “Of course, we’re also talking about the identity that makes up your voice. The identity of voice.”
The title of the piece adds the element of vulnerability. “It’s the part that cracks and breaks,” Bickersteth says, “the vulnerable and difficult part.”
“The metaphor of that is the other universal aspect of the piece,” Miller adds.
Teelucksingh points out, “What both Brian and Martin have tried to do with this piece is have audiences see that this […] is actually an opportunity. If this thing occurs naturally, perhaps it’s something we can learn from.”
“I think that comes through in our story,” Neema says. “Each of us talks about those moments when we lose our voice.” The struggle is real, and it’s universal, but it’s possible to push through it and go on. “There’s something about accepting our wolves.”
“Voice is so connected to identity,” Miller says. So many people are told that they can’t sing. “Even those people have an in with this piece,” she says. “It’s an invitation.”
The Show
While there’s drama, song and storytelling, the performance doesn’t follow the traditional structure of a play. “There’s a journey through it,” Miller says.
It’s also a show about how three people can collaborate on something in real time.
“I find the work of a trio in general is fascinating,” Taurian says. He points out that it offers the possibility to produce the three notes of a chord. “We explore that as individuals [with] different musical colours and experiences. It’s three different artists from three different backgrounds.”
“For a show about singing, audiences will be very shocked at how physical it is,” says Teelucksingh.
“Singing is a very physical thing,” Bickersteth emphasizes.
Jane Miller adds, “It’s not a concert.”
Nonetheless, there will be singing. Through the course of the show, the trio will be performing diverse repertoire from the classic rock song Bat out of Hell to Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo, Bellini arias to Gilbert & Sullivan and Latin madrigals.
“We do sing in every style; we each come from different backgrounds,” Neema says. Her own lies in opera and musical theatre. Taurian has an extensive resume in musical theatre, including several roles at the Shaw Festival. Jane is a multi-faceted performer, director and writer.
Taurian adds, “We approach one song two different ways back to back.”
The audience should leave with an idea of the skill and work that goes into singing as a profession, and the kinds of artistic choices singers make.
It’s all about offering the audience different perspectives. “We hope people will listen differently,” he says.
Jane Miller notes that she and Bickersteth were part of an earlier work by Martin and Brian. “They made a piece called Blue Note,” she explains. “They are really fascinated with vocal music.”
Of the two, she says, Brian is the non-singer. “He’s the one whose voice cracked.”
- Find tickets and more information about the performance [HERE].
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