Rachel Fenlon & Matthias McIntire – Sing Nature Alive From My Insides

From the collaborative writing process, Matthias McIntire’s contemporary approach to composing, and Rachel Fenlon’s unique self-accompanied performance, to the dynamic visual film world created by Jamie McMillan in response to the music, Sing Nature Alive From My Insides is a 21st century multimedia song cycle. The work is rooted in our relationship to the natural world and gives expression to the wonder and vulnerability that make the prospect of its loss so profound; highlighted by sampling sounds of nature, like ocean waves, birds, waterfalls, and sounds of breathing. All aspects of the project were developed in parallel, with the music, poetry, and images in direct dialogue, creating a shared language for artistic expression that is difficult to articulate in the face of environmental change on such an immense scale.

The tension between this love and fear shapes the song cycle’s progression from dream to nightmare. Our guiding vision for the project is a structural metaphor we call “dream form” that was inspired by a phrase from Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake:

“We’re hard-wired for dreams […] We’re hard-wired for singing. Singing and dreams were entwined.”

In “dream form” singing and dreams (or nightmares) are entwined. The voice, piano, electronics and visuals are linked on a visceral level and Rachel performs all three parts of the music herself. In “dream form” the voice and piano join with vocal effects processing, field recordings of water, breathing, and nature to form a continuous, dreamlike texture. Songs, sounds, and images emerge fully formed or rise in wisps only to sink back into a blur of sensation, at turns beautifully serene or violent and suffocating. “Dream form” presents a fluid electroacoustic audio-visual world that emphasizes our love for nature as well as the terror we feel facing the impending climate crisis.

The work’s visual world stems from the accompanying music film, released online alongside this recording.

“Seven years in the making, this album has been a deeply rewarding creative collaboration. From a shared stream of consciousness, structure found us, poetry found us, music found us, the visual world found us. Together, we stepped into a rich natural landscape and a unique musical world. The most powerful moments came when we were completely absorbed in making it, responding to the environment, the performance, and each other. It’s been so special to go deep, dream big, and realize a creative vision together that continues to evolve. Now it’s yours to find.”
– Rachel, Matthias, & Jamie

TRACKS
1. Overture –
2. – In My Dream / Waterfall Interlude –
3. – Glymur
4. Violet, Disturbing the Universe
5. Sing Nature Alive From My Insides
6. Drowning Crow / Breath Aria
7. Where Do The Breathless Souls Go
8. Tide / Coda
Tracks 1 to 3 run attacca.

CREDITS
Voice, Piano, Electronics Performance, and Poetry by Rachel Fenlon*
Music Composition and Electronics Creation by Matthias McIntire**
Photography, Moving Image, and Visuals by Jamie AM McMillan
Produced by Aaron Tsang, Matthias McIntire, Rachel Fenlon, and Jamie McMillan
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Aaron Tsang
Costumes by Danika Loren
Album Design by Studio More Than This
*Track 3 poetry by Matthias McIntire
**Track 7 composed by Rachel Fenlon

Recorded at Pontiac Enchanté / Venturing Hills Farm, Luskville, Québec, August 2022

Many thanks to our commissioners, Meghan Lindsay and Juan Olivares, as well as to Burt Wathen and the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, without whom Rachel and Matthias never would have met. Special thanks to Avaloch Farm Music Institute (artist residency), Ottawa Chamberfest (world premiere), and Nick Storring for helping us get it out there.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto through Toronto Arts Council.

Sing Nature Alive From My Insides is available for pre-order from

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Rachel Fenlon is a soprano and pianist who has carved a unique voice on the classical stages of the world. Known for performing self-accompanied song recitals as both singer and pianist, she also appears widely as a chamber music and opera soloist. Her debut album, Winterreise (October 2024), has received widespread acclaim. It is the first self-accompanied Winterreise ever recorded.

Matthias McIntire is a Canadian composer, performer, and educator who has followed a unique musical path. His compositions reflect his eclecticism in performance (violin, viola, voice, and electronics), Western classical and new music, as well as jazz, fiddle, free improvisation, field recording, foley art, and electronic music.

Jamie Alexander McMillan is a multimedia artist and filmmaker working across moving image, graphic design, photography and installation. Drawing on expanded cinema and interactive storytelling, his practice explores how physical experiences engage the subconscious, inviting attention to what often goes unnoticed.