Toni Castells - 2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal - St James's Piccadilly 6 July 2016 [REMASTERED]

Live Recording from St. James's Piccadilly on the 6th July 2016.
Sections:
0:38 - 01 Overture
3:50 - 02 Gold
7:53 - 03 Slaves of Time
13:27 - 04 P4P
16:37 - 05 Nile Lilies
20:50 - 06 Saule
25:48 - 07 Interlude
27:21 - 08 Annie + Irantzu
30:42 - 09 The Mission
35:10 - 10 Born Kings
38:36 - 11 Diva
39:28 - 12 Capsule
44:20 - 13 Foolish Child
49:19 - 14 Coda
53:45 - 15 Love Overcometh All Things
57:36 - 16 Passing on the Torch
‘2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal?’ (2016) started as a homage to this concept called Technological Singularity, this new era that the techno-scientific community have predicted to be possible by 2045 in which technology will finally allow for man and machine to merge, enabling us the possibility to prolong life indefinitely, making us immortal effectively.
But the piece also wonders whether there's a purpose to being mortal, whether there's a purpose to dying. When our days are numbered, life becomes more precious and we cherish more the things we love. In essence, it wonders whether we should be tampering with nature's cycle of life, wherefrom death there's always new life, and whether this technocratic path we've chosen is the right path for all of us.
The piece is structured in 5 sections mirroring the five stages of a fruit tree, a metaphor for the cyclic nature of life. The first three sections constitute a first block representing the process from life to death. The last two sections constitute a second block where, after what we understand as death, I wonder about the immortal nature of the human soul. In the timeline of the piece, these two blocks are separated exactly at the Golden Ratio and all the individual pieces that constitute the piece follow the timings of the Fibonacci Sequence.
The piece was premiered at St. James's Church in Piccadilly, London, on the 6th of July 2016. It was further performed at Buck Hall in Cowdray House on the 9th of July 2016. It received standing ovations on both occasions and widespread acclaim.
Credits:
Meeta Raval - Soprano
Alexandra Kennedy - Soprano (recorded)
Oliver Gerrish - Countertenor
Helios Voices - Choir
Ruth Rogers - Violin
Katherine Jenkinson - Cello
Martin Cousin - Piano
Olivia Duque - Cor Anglais
Martin Stephens - Electric Bass
Toni Castells - Electronics + Keyboards + Voice
Jo Lord - Technical Director
Martyn Larcombe - Assistant Technical Director
Ben Palmer - Audio Engineer
Laura Beck - Audio Engineer