Artistic Statement

The Quran calls us to care for one another, all our relations, because we all come from one soul and to one soul we shall return. The concept of “Interconnectedness” resonates with Indigenous world views that centre the belief that everything in the universe is connected and must be cared for. We have a shared responsibility to come together and use our combined knowledge to make things better for each other. 

Through an abiding conversation between Russell and me, a sonic vision emerged: 215 voices singing one note together at 215 Hz.  We talked about how stripping away musical aspects that divided us and everyone singing one note could be a powerful moment of unity and healing. The duration of the note that would be sung also had meaning. Russell shared that there were 139 residential schools in Canada the last of which closed in 1996. We agreed that the one note would last for a duration of 139 seconds. 

At the heart, we wanted to harness the power of voices together to carry the energy of our ancestors and past, present, and future in a search for wholeness and healing. The work would bring together a community of emerging and elder voices from across the country to sing one note in lament and mourning, and also with a hope to carry forward healing, wisdom and change. 

The Note

The one note represents a call to gather in parabolic focus to address issues of diversity, exclusion, racism, indigenous reconciliation and forces of division around the world. At the heart, the one note is a call for us to come to know again our interconnected wholeness from which the kaleidoscope of our stories emerge. The note we offered is on the frequency of 215 Hz (slightly below A 220).

The sound does not fall in the frequencies of western notation system. It is somewhere between. The choice of this note suggests that many music cultures live outside western music theory and notation. Many instruments may not be able to hit that specific note but the human voice can.

Each individual brought their hearing of the note to bear. Together in a collective tapestry of lament the note comes alive with nuanced texture and vocal colour. We recommend hearing this expression with headphones to catch the stereo effect of the voices from different sonic directions. 

With our Gratitude,
Bearing Witness

About Russell Wallace and Hussein Janmohamed

Russell Wallace is an award winning composer, producer and traditional singer from the St’at’imc Nation (Salish) in Canada. His music has been part of a number of film and television soundtracks and theatre/dance productions. In 2022, Russell was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Arts and Music Award in recognition of his music and contributions to arts and culture in British Columbia as well as had his composition “Journey” performed at Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice this past September. Currently, Wallace is the Director of the Indigenous Vocal Ensemble at Vancouver Community College and works with the Vancouver Youth Choir’s Kindred Program alongside collaborator Deanna Gestrin.

Hussein Janmohamed is a 4th generation Kenyan South Asian Ismaili Muslim composer, vocalist and conductor passionate about music as a medium for cultural dialogue, spiritual uplift and human development. Hussein is a global music education consultant and trainer helping teachers to create transformative cultures of pluralism in the classroom. Choral music was a balm to heal societal division and racism as a child inspiring Hussein to develop the choral form to better meet the needs of diverse youth today. His unique musical approach helps students learn how to come together across their cultural diversity; co-create music regardless of musical background; and, to connect with and revitalize their relationships with ancestral cultural/spiritual heritage.