ALBUM

Cat Hope: Speechless

Speechless (2019) is an opera for 4 vocal soloists, bass orchestra and community choir. Decibel feature both in the orchestra, but also with ensemble member Aaron Wyatt as the music director. This recording, on Swiss label Hat Hut’s “First Visit“ series, is a re-mixed and re-mastered recording from the premiere season at Perth Festival in 2019. It is the first animated notation opera, and is facilitated by the Decibel ScorePlayer software developed by the group.

Hope intended this work, her first opera, to be a personal response to the plight of refugees worldwide. We are suprised, and disappointed that it still feels like a relevant issue today. Perhaps it will be an eternal issue for humankind. We can take some comfort from the fact that there are few children in immigrant detention in Australia now, compared to in 2019 when the opera was premiered.

Here is what Hope says about the opera:

“Speechless is my response to the plight of refugees worldwide – a protest and plea to citizens of all nations to support humanitarian values in the face of the evolving crises worldwide. The graphic music notation for Speechless draws on materials from the report document, including tracings of drawings by children in detention, statistical graphs, photographs, colour schemes and graphic design elements. I wanted to create a notation that could be understood by musicians and singers of any music style or cultural background, including those who may not normally read notation at all. There are also moments of free improvisation where soloists express themselves in their own musical language.

“Vocal soloists and musicians are drawn from classical, jazz, rock, folk, noise, theatre, metal, electronic, exploratory and improvisatory scenes, and the choir is drawn from the local community. The performers reread the ‘Forgotten Children’ report through this notation, interpreting it through sound. I hoped to generate empathy and action for the plight of refugees worldwide through this process – for performers and audiences both. I believe opera still has a role in today’s music landscape, as an effective multimedia form able to engage with the big issues of our time. Whilst I engage with many of its formal elements, such as an overture, interlude, arias and recitatives, I have attempted to create a work that reflects the diversity of music making today, and my place within it.”

Find out more about the opera and related images, scores and publications on this webpage dedicated to Speechless.

The opera has been performed in two seasons to date – in Perth, Western Australia in Feb/March 2019 and as a chamber version in Hamburg, Germany, as part of the Ligeti Festival in May 2023.

ARTISTS ON THE RECORDING

Conductor: Aaron Wyatt (Decibel)

Vocal soloists: Caitlin Cassidy, Judith Dodsworth, Sage Pbbbt, Karina Utomo.

Decibel with the Australian Bass Orchestra: Piano: Gabriella Smart, Double bass: Phillip Waldren, Sarah Claire, Ebony Lim, Djuna Lee, Joshua Cusak; Cello: Tristen Parr (Decibel), Anna Sarcich, Miranda MurrayYong, Stephanie Jefferies, Cameron Wright. Percussion: Louise Devenish (Decibel), Carissa Soares, Germaine Png; Electric bass: Leon Ewing, Theo Bird; Bass Flute: Kirsten Smith, Emily Clements; Bass clarinet: Oliver Crofts, Elijo Agenbach, Shoshana Rosenberg; Contrabass Clarinet : Lindsay Vickery (Decibel); Contra Bassoon: Stephanie Sheriden; Harp: Catherine Ashley; Bass trombone: Rob Coleman, Ewan Potter; Tuba: Steven Harmer, Wafi Zainal; Euphonium: Natalie Mandry, Cameron Harries; Live electronics: Stuart James (Decibel)

The Speechless Choir convened by Luke Donohoe. Bevy Barker, Gyan Godfrey, Rosie Sitorus, Robyn Bett, Peta Gray, Tallulah Starkie, Tiffany Birch, Mary Harney, Louise Sutton, Daniela Birch, Lekkie Hopkins, Ken Vickery, Shivaun Brereton-Smith, Ann Jones, Margo Warburton, Ellen Clair, Mar Knox, Koral Ward, Luanita Doore, Nicole Lau, Alex Wheeler, Lelen Drieser, Kate Makowiecka, Evan Williams, Vidhi Mathur, Izzy Wilson, Mih Fie Duncan, Reece Pitt, Elizabeth Wood, Thomas Friberg, Jane Royle, Anna Wrigh, Lydia Gardiner, Rachel Ryan, Helen Garner, Rachel Singer and additional vocals by Karl Ockelford, Judith Dodsworth, Lisa MacKinney, Kitty Luck, Luke Devenish, Louise Devenish and Nicole Canham.

Speechless was commissioned by Tura and the Perth Festival. The premiere performance season of Speechless was produced by Tura with support from Monash University. Speechless and Tura are supported by the State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, in association with LotteryWest and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding advisory body. Tura co-produced the recording, with special thanks to Tristen Parr.

You can find the album digitally on Bandcamp or as CD in Australia via Birdland record s . A full list of distributors can be found here.

ALBUM LAUNCH

Decibel is hosting a launch party on Sunday 9 November 2025 from 2–4pm at Astral Weeks, 66 Roe St, Northbridge, co-hosted by Tura. Decibel members will be on hand curating music across the afternoon, featuring tracks from Speechless and other Decibel albums. The session also includes a live interview with composer and Artistic Director Cat Hope.

Free entry by registration via Megatix