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'Orca sounds' from a Coquitlam violinist in the PuSh Festival

Coquitlam's Meredith Bates performs in the world premiere of "Songs for a Lost Pod" that can be seen on Feb. 2 and 3, 2022, at 7:30 p.m at the Annex in Vancouver.

A Coquitlam violinist appears in an upcoming PuSh Festival production.

Meredith Bates performs in the world premiere of Songs for a Lost Pod that can be seen on Feb. 2 and 3, 2022, at 7:30 p.m at the Annex in Vancouver (823 Seymour St.).

The nine-song cycle uses “orca vocalizations, transforming them into rhythmic beats in a musical exploration of historical trauma, environmental crisis and communication between species,” according to a news release.

Presented with Music on Main, the piece was created by Vancouver singer-songwriter Leah Abramson and folds marine mammal history into a larger narrative about survival and human oppression.

Abramson holds a master’s degree in fine arts in creative writing, with a focus on lyrics, from UBC; she also studied classical music and traditional Appalachian balladry.

Tickets for the PuSh Festival — an 18-day event that puts the spotlight on cutting-edge theatre, music, dance and multimedia performances that runs Jan. 20 to Feb. 6 — are now on sale via pushfestival.ca or call 604-449-6000.

This year’s celebration features 14 works from across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.