Ann McMillan

Whale - Wail, In Peace, En Paix: For Voice and Tape Structures of Whale and Other Animal Sounds is a 1986 recording by composer Ann McMillan, commissioned by Moses Asch. The piece, first presented on Baffin Island, north of the Arctic Circle, for an Inuit audience, is a plea to humans to be more like whales. Inspired by her study with Edgard Varèse and his work with pre-recorded sounds, the composition features whales and other sound sources (including bull, insect, and Chinese cymbal), some of which were recorded by zoologists and others by McMillan. These are interspersed with her text, which is in English and French, in six verses. Liner notes contain McMillan’s notes on the piece, the first performance, and a brief biography.

This CD is a custom made copy from Smithsonian Folkways collection. Every effort has been made to preserve its historical and aural integrity. The original liner notes are include as a PDF file on the disc or are available here