Ruby Colley and Exaudi

03 Feb 2025

Philharmonic Hall

Composer, violinist and sound artist Ruby Colley shares her new vocal work Hello Halo performed with Exaudi Ensemble, a leading vocal ensemble for new music. This composition has been developed alongside Ruby’s brother, Paul Colley, who is neurodivergent and has high support needs.

Despite being termed ‘non-verbal’, Paul uses a rich repertoire of sounds and gestures. This composition transcribes these communication methods, using live voice and recordings of Paul, to make a vocal map of Paul’s life and relationships. It is an intimate examination of communication and asks questions of what it means to be human.

 Hello Halo is shaped by Ruby’s own (a neurodiverse musician) and her brother’s lived experience, but is aimed at both neurodiverse and neurotypical audiences. 

The show will feature an exclusive preview of a film by Rod Morris, documenting the process of Hello Halo and giving audiences a view into the world of Paul Colley and his unique collaboration with his sister Ruby.

The evening performance will open with Ruby Colley and her quartet performing works from her album Overheard and her follow up EP Underheard, music that blends instrumentation, found sound and electronics, and treads the space between nature, classical and folk music.

Please note, the 2pm event will be an informal performance, and will not feature Ruby Colley’s quartet.