As the world burns around us, the Singh Sisters offer us music for healing and revelation
‘As the world burns around us, the Singh Sisters offer us music for healing and revelation
In The Turning, sisters Rakhi and Simmy Singh beautifully explore our tentative, vulnerable relationship to nature by melding together traditional Indian music with Western classical and folk, using violin, electronics, and their birdsong-like singing voices.
The simplistic staging, with wooden instruments, fairy lights, and fully exposed laptop- used as an instrument- created an intimate, relaxed vibe. Track Brewing Co – Brewery & Taproom, was a fascinating choice of venue, with giant steel vats of beer, looking like instruments themselves, on full display behind the stage. With the added bonus of a variety of delicious beers to enjoy with the performance, the rustic setting also served to transport us out of the city and into the countryside.
Through the Singhs’ music, we were taken on an emotional journey, with moments of grounding and mediation transgressing into grief and sorrow that then crescendoed into celebration, with Celtic folk music that transported us to a beautifully riotous ceilidh in an old tavern of yesteryear.
Although they had some beautiful solo moments, the sisters truly shone their brightest when playing alongside one another. Communicating through music, their love and joy for the natural world and one another was magical; their energy was infectious. When they invited the audience to contribute to the song by singing along, the energy in the room was that of collective joy and understanding. They invited us to listen deeply to the music, ourselves, and one another- an experience that took us out of the hustle and bustle of the city and into mountains and green valleys. In this shared space, something ancient was re-lit within us. They then used that primitive connection to speak of the future and radical political change. Throughout their performance, the Singhs explained their influences and process to the audience, siting climate activists who use hope as a means of resistance. The shout out to Greta Thunberg was especially potent with given her current aid mission in Gaza, with her famous speech No one is too small to make a difference having greatly inspired the sisters. Other works they stated as powerful influences were Active Hope by Joanna Macy, as well as Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Overall, the performance was a musical baptism. Inspired by the sisters’ passion and love for nature, we left feeling the blood of ecological revolution pulsing through your veins and a sense of certainty that art is a potent form of resistance against tyranny.