Amanda Seyfried brought an unlikely presence to London's avant-garde jazz scene last night as she sat among composer Daniel Blumberg and musicians from Cafe Oto, a leftfield venue whose improvising musicians have been the bedrock of his work. The soundtrack for "The Testament of Ann Lee", in which Seyfried plays the founder of the Shaker religious movement, drew parallels between Shaker worship and free improvisation – both marked by an ascetic intensity, devotion, and moments of euphoric release.
Seyfried sings Shaker-style hymns written by Blumberg, her voice a pure, haunting anchor as his eight-piece ensemble brings dissonance to the songs. Violinist Billy Steiger and bassist Tom Wheatley's instrumentation brings woozy drones, while drummer Steve Noble summons abrasive textures from a kettledrum – all accompanied by the clanging of handbells, creating an unsettling atmosphere.
The use of Phil Minton and Maggie Nicols in the film also plays a significant role. Minton unleashes his formidable vocal arsenal: gasps, retches, howls, panting, and animalistic whinnies that echo the Shakers' ecstatic glossolalia. Nicols punctures the hymns with yelps, shrieks, and sudden eruptions of joy – effectively capturing the raw emotion of their devotional singing.
As a result, the performance takes on a confrontational tone, one in which faith is stripped bare by improvisation and beauty is deliberately bruised. Seyfried's participation is unwavering, unflinching amidst the sonic chaos, making her an integral part of the ensemble rather than a Hollywood newcomer.
The 45-minute total runtime may be short, but the experience is exhilarating and disorienting – an unsettling fusion of sound that leaves you questioning the boundaries between faith, worship, and music.
Seyfried sings Shaker-style hymns written by Blumberg, her voice a pure, haunting anchor as his eight-piece ensemble brings dissonance to the songs. Violinist Billy Steiger and bassist Tom Wheatley's instrumentation brings woozy drones, while drummer Steve Noble summons abrasive textures from a kettledrum – all accompanied by the clanging of handbells, creating an unsettling atmosphere.
The use of Phil Minton and Maggie Nicols in the film also plays a significant role. Minton unleashes his formidable vocal arsenal: gasps, retches, howls, panting, and animalistic whinnies that echo the Shakers' ecstatic glossolalia. Nicols punctures the hymns with yelps, shrieks, and sudden eruptions of joy – effectively capturing the raw emotion of their devotional singing.
As a result, the performance takes on a confrontational tone, one in which faith is stripped bare by improvisation and beauty is deliberately bruised. Seyfried's participation is unwavering, unflinching amidst the sonic chaos, making her an integral part of the ensemble rather than a Hollywood newcomer.
The 45-minute total runtime may be short, but the experience is exhilarating and disorienting – an unsettling fusion of sound that leaves you questioning the boundaries between faith, worship, and music.
... wait, no, actually I think it's a total buzzkill 
. I mean, Amanda Seyfried's presence is really cool and all, but her singing style is kinda... off-putting? Is that even possible? 
And what's with the handbells?! They're like, so unnecessary 
.
. But at the same time, I'm not sure if I'd want to listen to someone wailing and snorting on repeat for 45 minutes 
. That being said, maybe it's some kind of performance art or something? 
... but hey, at least it's memorable, right? 
The whole free improv jazz thing is pretty niche, but I guess it's got a weird appeal? 
Amanda Seyfried's voice is actually really haunting, like someone's gonna summon a ghost or somethin'. And that Phil Minton guy's vocals are wild – I mean, who knew vocalizing could be so intense? 
. I mean I've never heard anyone make "gasps" sound so cool lol! The way the whole ensemble came together to create this dissonant yet euphoric atmosphere was just magical 
. It felt like they were stripping away all pretenses of faith and worship, leaving just pure emotion & beauty... and Amanda was completely at ease amidst all the chaos 
. Anyway, I'm still reeling from the experience 
I mean, can you believe Amanda Seyfried showing up to this underground jazz gig in London? It's like something straight outta the 70s when artists would just drop by these crazy experimental shows without a care. And that soundtrack for "The Testament of Ann Lee"? It's like someone took all the vibes from those old Shaker hymns and mashed them with some modern noise, man... The way her voice blends in with all that free improvisation is giving me chills! 
That dude's got some serious pipes on him...
! Amanda Seyfried totally slayed as a Shaker hymns singer - her voice is literally hauntingly beautiful 
. And can we talk about the instrumentation? It's like they're trying to disrupt the harmony and create this unsettling atmosphere 
. The use of Phil Minton's vocals is insane 
. And Maggie Nicols' yelps and shrieks are giving me LIFE 
! The whole thing feels so raw and unfiltered - it's like they're stripping away the surface level of music and getting to the heart of it 
. I loved how Amanda just went for it, even in the midst of all that sonic chaos 
. It was honestly a wild ride and I'm still trying to process everything 
. and can we talk about the instrumentation tho? the way the violinist and bassist just go wild on their instruments is giving me LIFE 
. anyway just got back from london and i'm still reeling from the experience 
, i mean dont get me wrong, shakers do have this weird ascetic vibe goin on but its not exactly the most relatable aesthetic 2 us londoners, & whatevs about free improv being intense, its just noise 2 me 
. and wut's w/ all these people makin a big deal outta minton & nicols vocal stylz? sounds like theyre tryin 2 be weird 4 the sake of bein weird 
and that drummer guy steve noble was like whoa what is happening with the kettledrum 
️? It's like someone took all the emotional intensity of those hymns and just let it rip. Not sure if I'd want to attend another one of these, but for real, this was some next-level stuff 
. what did you guys think of it?
. I mean, what's with all the handbells? Can't they just stick to normal instruments or something? 
. Give me some good ol' fashioned pop music any day