Ergodos
Cronachdain Suil

"Cronachdain Suil" by Australian-Dutch composer Kate Moore was commissioned by Ficino Ensemble especially for the album "Folk Songs". “The text for Cronachdain Suil comes from traditional and folkloric spells from the Hebrides, evoking Saint Brigid and Saint Mary for protection in times of danger," says Moore. “Saint Brigid is the Irish Saint associated with the fire of inspiration, poetry and music, the hearth, and the forge. The title is a charm to counteract the destructive glare of The Evil Eye.” Moore’s setting of this vivid folk spell is resolute and propulsive, culminating in an ecstatic percussion-driven procession in which vocalist Michelle O’Rourke’s assertions take on a particularly irresistible visceral power: “I shall not be anguished, / I shall not be wounded, / I shall not be ravaged, / I shall not be blinded. / I shall not be made naked. / I shall not be left bare…”

We created a music video for "Cronachdain Suil" that offers a visual narrative deeply congruent with the invocation in the music. The piece has this wonderful sense of urgency that gives so much space for the visuals to by driven by it. We wanted the visuals to be as close as possible to the ritualistic rhythm that Moore has so brilliantly captured in her composition. While Michelle O’Rourke’s haunting vocals offer an incantation to St. Brigid, the music is evocative of the unknown, the esoteric and the obscure. The apocalyptic tone of the piece reminds of the work of H.P. Lovecraft, and we wanted to draw inspiration from his way of presenting the supernatural as something that humans can hardly comprehend. In line with this, some of the rituals that are shown in the video are very humanistic – but others are as a result of an imagined entity that is truly otherworldly.

We collaborated heavily with choreographer and dancer Jessie Thompson in the making of the music video. She contributed immensely to the narrative of the film – her work carries the whole weight of the video and a lot of what ended up constructing the actual story was brought by her generous involvement in the project.