Confined in Everyday Scenes

Programme Notes

Confined in Everyday Scenes is a suite of works for solo cello and fixed electronics, composed at the invitation of cellist Joann Whang, whose artistry and vision have been central to the shaping of this project. The music seeks to illuminate the hidden truths of modern-day slavery and human trafficking — drawing the listener’s attention to the tension between familiar textures of ordinary life and the realities of exploitation that can often be concealed beneath them. It is my hope, shared with Joann, that these pieces raise awareness, challenge perception, and in some measure amplify the voices of those who have survived these experiences.

My collaboration with Joann began in 2021, when she first approached me with the idea of creating music that engaged with the subject of human trafficking. Our thinking broadened considerably after we encountered Laura T. Murphy’s remarkable book Survivors of Slavery: Modern-Day Slave Narratives, which made clear to us that human trafficking must be understood within the wider and troubling context of the history of enslavement and forced labour as a whole. Currently, researchers estimate that some 40 to 50 million people worldwide are living in conditions of enslavement.

I am grateful beyond measure for the support and guidance of Professor Murphy herself, whose scholarship stands among the most important in this field, and whose involvement lends this project a weight and comprehensiveness we could not have achieved alone. Over the course of this work, Joann and I have also had the privilege of meeting with a number of non-governmental organisations working directly with those seeking to escape lives of enslavement. We have also had the honour of knowing James Kofi Annan and Shamere McKenzie — both survivors of slavery, and now tireless advocates for the liberation of others who face similar experiences. It is my sincere hope that this music may draw wider attention to their vital efforts.

Scenes:

1. Breaking Rocks (3:16)
   Munni, a mother from India, is forced into bonded labour to repay a debt that was taken to pay for her daughter’s marriage. The breaking of rocks heard throughout this work represents the deplorable working conditions she faces. Sinister quotes of Wagner’s Bridal Chorus are also heard to symbolize how a happy event in a family’s life can turn into a terrible plight.
2. Nail Salon (4:04)
   Needing to make money to help support her mother and grandmother, “Katya” accepts an offer to move to the United States for employment. Upon arrival, she is forced into sex work. In this composition you hear a nail salon with the background murmur of a mall. Women regularly go to places like this for self-care, but the cello represents the fact that some might not be there of their own free will. The fixed electronics part evokes occasional booming bass symbolizing the many hours “Katya” and others in the same predicament work in clubs.
3. Street Level (4:21)
   At the age of six, “Sopheap” was trafficked into Vietnam from her native Cambodia and enslaved into forced begging on the streets. Within the chaos of crowds and cars on a busy street, no one pays attention to the young child. At times the cello emulates the wailing and grief of a powerless girl.
4. New York Park (2:23)
   Shamere and a young man sit on a bench in a quiet park — birds chirping, a light wind, a pleasant afternoon. The cello engages in a call and response with itself — a romantic melody representing innocent flirtation, answered by tremolo-laden, foreboding phrases that reveal the darker truth: the young man is a predator, deliberately grooming his victim into forced sex work.
5. Children Fishing (5:10)
   In Ghana, children like James are forced into labour activities that might sound innocent — among them, fishing. This piece unfolds in three distinct sections. In the first, the cello plays in a relentless, mechanical manner, symbolizing the endless hours the young boys and girls are made to fish; layered recordings of fishing rods reinforce the grinding physical, repetitive nature of the work. The second and third sections turn inward, the cello giving voice to the emotional suffering.
6. Clothing Factory (4:13)
   Quang Thi Vo travels to American Samoa from her native Vietnam, believing that work in a garment factory will allow her to provide for her family. Instead, she finds herself a victim of forced labour. This piece evokes the frenetic sounds of factory machinery, into which the cello enters as an uneasy duet partner. The music is unrelenting by design.
7. Dreaming (3:55)
   Originally from Vietnam, Sinna Vann lies asleep in Cambodia, her life marked by hardship — forced into sex work and far from home, she carries with her a longing for her grandmother and the crushed dream of becoming a teacher. As she sleeps, a fairy taps her pillow (evoked by cello pizzicato), offering her the gift of her grandmother’s presence, if only for the night.
8. Home (4:42)
   Ricky Richard Anywar is a Ugandan child made to watch as a grass-thatched house burns in his village — his entire family barricaded inside by soldiers. He was then abducted to serve as a child soldier. The cello bears witness to the unbearable sorrow of such a heinous scene, while at the opening and close of the piece, it retreats into something altogether different: an overwhelming, hollow numbness.
9. Los Angeles Traffic (8:09)
   Wati, an Indonesian woman who had been forced into domestic labour on different continents, finally escapes her enslavement and finds good samaritans on the roadside in Los Angeles. This piece is a portrait of her resilience and strength, and of the profound relief of having finally broken free.

– Frank Horvat

Commissioned by Joann Whang with the financial support of New Music USA, the Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Arts Council.