I Left My Voice Behind

I Left My Voice Behind explores how the voice links us to our past, present and future identities, including vocal potential enabled by science and technology. It was written in collaboration with people who have survived throat cancer and have had life-saving laryngectomy treatment to remove their voice box, alongside healthcare professionals, and a team of biomedical researchers developing a ground breaking implantable larynx. The piece is written for two choirs: one live choir (performed by people who have had laryngectomies, members of Shout at Cancer) and a second digital choir, constructed from recordings of Shout at Cancer members pre-cancer, when their voice boxes were still intact. The choirs are joined by solo professional cello, with a digital counterpart crafted from old recordings of that cellist, mirroring the duet between live and digital choirs and collectively exploring renewal, transformation, and the birth of new vocal identities.