Rūta Vitkauskaitė

‘Voice Cracks’ is a performative song cycle and installation, created and performed by Rūta Vitkauskaitė. Through the use of unconventional singing techniques such as whispering, breathing, and imperfect vocals, Rūta creates an audio library of sound-words, anchored around the song ‘Rūta’ – an ancient Lithuanian word found in polyphonic songs called ‘Sutartines’.

‘Sutartinės’ is a traditional form of folk singing performed by female singers in north-east Lithuania, which was awarded UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In those songs, ancient onomatopoeic words that have long lost their meaning in Lithuanian, but still have meaning in Sanskrit, are discovered.

Vitkauskaitė draws from this oral history to develop a new vocabulary of sound that responds to the immersive environments. They do not have lyrics with conceptual meaning, and rather use invented sound-words (onomatopoeic words), created by Rūta as part of music. The song list includes ‘Hamma-zhyshk’, ‘Breathing Drum’, ‘Voice Cracks’, ‘Pataka-sss’, a composition with audience interaction ‘Muay Violin’, and ‘Rūta’.

‘Rūta’ is the name of the composer, but it is also met in ‘Sutartines’ as ancient onomatopoeia, and is the name of an herb, traditionally symbolic flower of virginity in Lithuanian folklore. The performance draws inspiration from the healing techniques of herbalists and healers of the Baltic states, as well as alternate shamanistic influences from across the globe. 

Through the layering of folkloric traditions and invented sounds, ‘Voice Cracks’ creates a meditative space that reflects on the consequences of urbanisation on local communities and its impact on natural ecosystems.

‘Voice Cracks’ is performed live by Rūta on vocals, violin, and percussions, and also features pre-recorded sounds as an installation which wraps around all other songs. The audience is given the option of listening acoustically or wearing wireless headphones, allowing them to walk up to 200 meters away while experiencing an immersive soundscape.

Originally developed during Rūta ‘s artist residency at Q-O2 Sound Art Gallery in Brussels in 2017, ‘Voice Cracks’ has since been adapted and performed at various locations, including The Building Site, a small pavilion with moss, trees, and forest growth, located just across from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, designed by landscape architect Simona Sigita Paplauskaite, and The BZZZ Festival at Harp Art Lab in Sweden. In 2020, the performance was live-streamed from Scotland as part of the Muzika Erdvėje Festival, with a specially adapted sound-walk designed for remote participants. In 2024, Rūta further developed Voice Cracks, including more aspects of audience participation through sound contemplation and singing, and performed it at Unit 44 (Kirkos) in Dublin, Ireland, with support from Lithuanian Council for Culture. 

Duration: concert – 60 minutes or soundwalk – 60 minutes

Setup: violin, voice, loop pedal, bass drum and small percussions; Wi-Fi headphones

Performers: 1