Eliza Woodward Our Keffiyeh

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Our Keffiyeh is a structured improvisation written for 12 piccolos and an electronic track which is a sonic reaction to the conflict currently happening in Gaza. When writing this piece I wanted to utilise the music as a way of not just connecting people together but mourning the loss of thousands of lives that have been taken from not just the present day but also beginnings of the conflict which first occurred at the end of the 19th century.

The piccolo, often being an overlooked instrument with a ‘screechy’ reputation, gave me the idea of really playing into that characteristic and utilising the instrument as an effect rather than a melodic line which disperses around the central electronic track. This creates a haunting atmosphere that I hope allows the audience to be confronted with the current atrocities that are taking place in Gaza and subsequently feel a greater emotional connection to the victims of this global disaster.

The electronic track focuses on mourning loss of life across the span of the conflict – connecting the past and present as well as the subsequent anger that the global population has displayed since the current uprising which is felt more than ever through the presence of social media – which is demonstrated in the intentional glitches within the sound design. The samples include a feature of a traditional Palestinian song entitled “ya tala’ayn Eljibal” (translating to O Tala, where are the mountains) which women used to sing for their imprisoned loved ones to give them hope that liberation is coming during the British colonisation of Palestine. This was incredibly important for me to reference as not only does it display so much relevance now but it also questions our actions in the history of the conflict and how we can change our ways to promote global peace and accept our mistakes for the betterment of the world.

The track also features church chimes from the Greek Orthodox Church of Transfiguration which lies in the West Bank of Palestine and samples from two protests – one in London Trafalgar Square and one of a young boy chanting for freedom.

This piece was inspired by the poem Our Keffiyeh by Melody Li.

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– Eliza Woodward