Words – Clare
Photos – Mitch
It was a warm night in St Kilda and I would finally get to witness the Heilung ritual for myself. Set inside the iconic and historic Palais Theatre with its eclectic architecture and ornate ceilings I knew this would be a memorable event.
We were welcomed by the enchanting performance of Eivør. Hailing from the tiny village of Syðrugøta on the Faroe Islands, Eivør shared with us, in her soft and impeccably friendly voice, that not only was this her first time in Melbourne and Australia, but this was absolutely the furthest that she had ever travelled. Her appreciation for our hospitality was met with equal appreciation from her fans. The set powered by Eivør’s masterful vocal control included tracks from the new album and an ancient funeral song that was written for the series The Last Kingdom.
I had already anticipated that I would be feasting on a carefully crafted visual experience with a combination of synchronised ceremonial movement, painted skin and bare breasted vikings adorned with antlers and animal skins, which, coupled with the healing sounds of melodic chanting and guttural throat singing would satisfy the primal being that lays dormant in us all. But what I didn’t foresee was the meditative properties that would turn this deeply atmospheric and theatrical event into a truly immersive experience.
An acknowledgment of country accompanied by live didgeridoo preceded the opening ceremony where the indigenous representatives thanked Heilung for connecting first nation peoples from around the world and we the audience felt privileged to hear them. The first two otherworldly figures appeared infusing the already smoke filled stage with the intoxicating aroma of incense after which a ritualistic circle formed by members of the collective. Once the circle was broken and the horn was blown, the performance officially began.
The orchestra of sounds that followed included a richness of vocal harmonies and powerful drumming which required an impressive amount of continued stamina. A woman in white veiled in an antler headdress would lead the vocalists alongside a growling voice that emerged from the throat of a horned man while the painted vikings enriched the stage with shields, spears and even antlers set aflame. As the chants rose and fell and the smokey notes of the incense permeated the air in the room, I breathed in deeply, and my muscles relaxed as my consciousness wandered through time and space. Visuals from my past appeared in my mind’s eye in such vivid colour and detail that it conjured the accompanying emotion of each memory with a warmth that filled my body and spirit.
The atmosphere continued to morph with each passing part of the ritual evoking various reactions from the onlookers. At points the audience were lulled into a deep hypnotic state that quieted the mind and stilled the body, other times the primal and energised beats possessed the crowd, compelling them to rise from their seats and dance ceremoniously joining in what had become a communal ritual. So much so that as the ritual climaxed, the crowd rose and spilled down the centre aisle forming a united dance frenzy.
The closing ceremony calmed the space once more with Heilung in the ritual circle letting out a collective roar spurring a standing ovation from the room. The raw authenticity of Heilung’s haunting performance I’m sure had left an imprint on all in attendance.
Heilung’s tour continues around around this month, we highly reccomend you expereince this ritual in your city.
A huge thanks goes out to HEILUNG and the Palias Theatre crew for having and a special thanks to Maric Meida for arranging media access.
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