night signal

night signal for male choir divided in four groups was composed in the spring of 2009 as a commission by the Polytech Choir. The choir wanted to have a short work with a duration around two to three minutes. I was immediately interested to write a short miniature work for this fantastic choir, although the short time frame of couple of minutes bears its challenges for composer: in a short miniature like this, one needs to concentrate just on a couple of details and avoid the material to grow too multifaceted. Still, the work needs to form a solid entity and maintain continuity.

My interest towards the human voice and its vast possibilities originates from my childhood – since the age of 9 I have been singing in choirs and vocal ensembles and this has continued until present day. During the composition process of night signal I was interested in the the shimmering and colorful qualities of overtones produced by the smooth shift of vowels sung by the human voices. The play of the changing overtones forms the core of this short work, and the effect is enhanced further by positioning the choir in four groups around the audience, letting the listener to be surrounded by the harmonies circling around the concert venue.

– Markku Klami, April 2013 Work commentary for the Polytech Choir album Kuunteletko Sinä (2013), featuring the world premiere recording of night signal