Breathing, moving, being: Lil Lacy’s music speaks of the fundamentals of life and is directly shaped by them. As a musician, Lil is involved in arenas as varied as ensemble singing, film, dance, world music, improvisation and teaching as well as composing, project leading and appearing as a cellist. Her works have been performed on four continents and she has been the subject of two documentary films.
Lil’s music is born of a curiosity about the world that ranges from microscopic detail in plant life to the revelations of intercontinental travel. She has written a piano work that responds directly to the process of cell transferal in fungi and an opera that explores how human beings react when transferred to an unfamiliar culture. Both reflect her interest in the idea of ‘a message sent, received and responded to.’
Against the constant and often contrary hubbub of the new music scene, Lil’s music brings rare perspective, looking at the planet and its organisms with delicacy, honest and respect. Her music can feel tactile and impulsive, reflecting nature even when nature isn’t overtly summoned (with electronics, it often is). Her music is gregarious, tapping into rhythms of life that cross traditions and time zones. It is almost always meticulous, like a dialogue unfolding with clarity and patience. It is imbued with appealing design features that reflect nature itself: symmetry, reflection and depth of colour. It can be passionate and lyrical as well as documentary and systematic.
Lil is as much a listener as a creator, and takes a pragmatic view of her role as a composer. “Thank you for listening” is written at the end of her programme notes and pasted below her YouTube videos. She has even immortalized the phrase in her music: a soprano sings it during the closing moments of her most significant score to date: the opera One World Above, Another Below (2019).
Author: Andrew Mellor