Moira Smiley and VOCO

VOCO digs deep into the amazing spectrum of the human voice as they sing post-folk, improvisation-built songs, ballads, vocal symphonies and dancesongs. VOCO, founded in the summer of 2004, sings with the energy of street singing, improvisation and the wilder side of harmony and rhythm. The unusual, rich and percussive combination of cello and banjo weave low end and rhythm into the vocals, accordion and clarinet add charm and fullness to the sound. Moira Smiley's original songs are often emotional, playful dialogues with sorrow, cynicism, and loss. They are somewhere between the wild precision of an Eastern European dance song, the rich rhythm of a South African mbira tune and the plaintive improvisation of an Appalachian or African-American spiritual. VOCO's songs are inspired by Smiley's childhood 'wailing' of early American hymns, her travels around the world, and music where the songs and dancing are inseparable.

Moira Smiley, singer-composer, leads her powerhouse vocal-band, moira smiley & VOCO, travels the world as a soloist in traditional music, and creates new work for dance, theatre and film. Her songwriting stirs playful percussive movement with hair-raising rebel-harmony. Moira & VOCO were chosen to represent the FARWest at Folk Alliance ’07, are a cappella champions (Harmony Sweepstakes) playing Kate Wolf Festival, California WorldFest, WorldOne Festival, LOTUS Festival, Cerritos Center, The Getty, San Luis Mozart Festival and many other listening rooms around the U.S. Originally from Vermont, Moira went to the acclaimed IU School of Music as a pianist and graduated with an Early Music Vocal Performance degree. While in school, Moira founded VIDA, who came to be represented by IMGArtists Agency and culminated with performances at Lincoln Center.

The constant thread in all of Moira’s work is performance that combines emotional, virtuosic, communicative singing with old songs, joyous improvisation and physical wit. Her mother-tongue is folksong – especially old songs of Appalachia, Ireland and Eastern Europe. She has won many awards for her study of voice in culture – always entwined with her composing and improvisation work – this year, receiving The Durfee and American Composers Forum grants for her large-scale arranging project of Bela Bartok’s “Mikrokosmos”. Moira has been teaching vocal technique, traditional singing styles and improvisation at U.S. and European universities and composing for vocal ensembles from here to Tanzania – her song “Stand in that River” is sung worldwide by thousands of choral ensembles and singers of all stripes.

Discography

Small Worlds

We loved watching Moira and VOCO, her talented partners, pull off their surprising win at the 2007 Harmony Sweeps Finals in San Rafael, CA, especially their introduction of "body percussion to augment their sweet a cappella harmonies. "Small Worlds" is a "physical theater" of four voices, cello, violin, accordion, banjo and body percussion on 10 "post-folk" songs, guided by Bela Bartok. Some of our favorites are: "Izgrejala," "Makedonska," "Silverlake," "Summer Has Come," "Russia" (Siberia's Snows), "Out of a Child" and "The Hat—Matchmaking Song." Haunting, beautiful, powerful and mysterious songs from Moira, Jessica B., Jessica C. and Christine!

Circle Square Diamond and Flag

Moira, Jessica B., Jessica C. and Christine pulled off their unexpected win at the 2007 Harmony Sweeps Finals in San Rafael by digging into old Americana and Eastern European roots. The live, eight-song EP "circle square diamond and flag" includes some songs from that magic night, "Carolina Pines," and "Bring Me Little Water, Silvie." The remaining songs are all "Shape Note" hymns, which flourished in late 18th century-early 19th century New England, where hymn books would fill with these uniquely modal, contrapuntal songs. "Garden Hymn" is a traditional Shape Note song, as are "Parting Friends" and "Wondrous Love." "Return My Soul," written and composed by Moira, the traditional Appalachian song "The Cuckoo" and Wm. Billings' "Africa" round out the songlist. A beautiful, touching collection from Moira and VOCO!

Blink

Los Angeles quartet Moira and VOCO treated all of us to a National Championship performance at the 2007 Harmony Sweeps Finals in San Rafael in May, and "Blink" only expands and deepens our appreciation for this all-woman group. Moira's sure songwriting and arranging touch is everywhere on this gem of a recording, which features her original tunes "Deep Blue," "I Live in California," "Stand in that River" (which also won for "Best Original Song"), "Our time/Shout," and "How Can I Cry." Another winner from their Finals set is "Dying Californian," a beautiful, haunting folk song from "the Sacred Harp" (1859). Other winners are "Katie Cruel," here lightly accompanied by percussion, cello and accordion, "Dance s'loyfn, s'yogn," with Moira's words given to a Yiddish dance song, the surprising "Firecracker Girl," "al' procia" and "esik eso," Croatian and Hungarian folksongs. And, unique to this group, which they showed off at the Finals, are a pair of fun, short "body percussion" songs, "the Boat BP" and "Tryptophan Hand Jive." Moira and VOCO are fast-rising stars, and "Blink," like their Finals set, touches and moves us.

Rua

Our first introduction to Moira's amazing voice and her all-woman band Voco was their surprising and dramatic win at the recent '07 Harmony Sweeps Finals in San Rafael, CA, which was the first time in many years that an all-female group took top honors. They also won for Best Original Song, with "Stand in that River," and got a huge ovation for the original "I Live in California" (unfortunately not included in this collection). "Rua" is a lightly accompanied, wonderful collection of traditional folk songs, including "Stand," which was "written to join the tradition." Some favorites are the touching Vermont folk song "House that Jack Built," the Irish song and reel "Hawk & Crow/Monaghan Twig," the deeply-felt song against the idea of Eye for an Eye, "A Man was Born," (we believe to be a group original, but the liner notes are sparse), "Charlie Piggot's/Sporting Pitchfork," a hornpipe and jig accompanied by the "flying feet of Moira's friend, Maire Clerkin." The much-loved Irish carol "Queen Jane," another original, "Grey Shore," a "love-across-the-waters song inspired by all the extraordinary old ones," northern song "Maid of Culmore," "Darkest Midnight," a Wexford carol with new text, and "Parting Glass" a lovely old parting song given some new "Inuit and North African-inspired sounds." An amazing collection by Moira and her group, rising stars who we were privileged to hear at their stunning Finals win!

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