Thirty years ago, Mécanique Vivante set out on a rich adventure – the challenge of creating harmonious music with an air raid siren. The path has been long; but the vision of one man has culminated in the creation of a unique orchestra of seven singing Sirens.
This remarkable project combines 19th century invention and 21st century technology.
The only one of its kind, the Siren Orchestra is made up of seven musical sirens: a piccolo, two sopranos, two altos, a tenor and a bass.
The evolution of the orchestra has gone hand in hand with set design and the construction of staging devices which allow the orchestra to perform just about anywhere: ports, urban and industrial environments, on water, in UNESCO world heritage sites etc
Mécanique Vivante travels the globe with its unique Siren Orchestra and staging devices: cavalcading through town with the orchestra mounted on its two locomotives; perched at the top of the mast on sea-going vessels; installed around the public in parks and gardens; suspended in concert halls & theatres; and as of July 2024, floating down river and in lakes on Nénuphars.
Mécanique Vivante creates site- and event-specific installations with its orchestra and associated artists, its in-house composer
and a 25-year collaboration for theatrical lighting of the site by Pierre Wendels.
With its unique orchestra, Mécanique Vivante creates unforgettable installations, itinerant parades and aquatic shows..
The orchestra is hoisted to the top of masts, or suspended from handmade arches around the public. Day-time or night-time, several performances per day. Possibility of installing an alfresco auditorium (200 seats in MécaniqueVivante’s reclining chairs).
The orchestra parades through town mounted on its locomotives. Daytime or night-time, a 60 to 90 minute parade (depending on the site). The parade can end in a live show with the company’s associated artists and creative lighting, should the project call for it.
Installation of the orchestra on ‘Nénuphar’ – small, navigable floating stages, designed for shallow waters. Day-time or night-time, floating recitals, waterborne parades or a fullshow with the company’s associated artists and creative lighting if required.
Percussion : Lucie Delmas
Opera singers : Fenna Ograjensek / Marylène Duprey, sopranos – Lien Haegman, mezzo
Tubes : Millie Dolan
Guitar : Eric Lorher
Chainsaw : Franz Clochard
Sirénium : Franz Clochard
Statuesque and graceful, the musician on her rotating stage strikes her tubes, setting the rhythm and hailing the Sirens into the public arena
Two divas lure the Sirens to come join them. There follows a mechanical ballet where the songstresses and their horns spin, creating Doppler effect & sending waves of song across the public.
Like the pendulum of a metronome six metres in the air, a foghorn sways from side to side. A guitarist appears. The foghorn sways as if inebriated until the guitarist performs; and then ends the sequence on a majestic, haunting note.
Usually hidden away at the back of the orchestra, orchestral tympani take centre stage. Borne high on her Nénuphar the virtuoso percussionist also plays temple block (1) crotales(2) and plate bells.
The grand return of the Flying Chainsaw which wowed audiences around the world in the famous circus Archaos – father of modern alternative circus. Like a real-life Spiderman, Franz Clochard flies 15 metres into the air on his chainsaw, triggering the Foghorn from the famous ocean liner France.
The Sirenium allows the maestro to improvise and solo on the Sirens, creating transitions and ambiance with the orchestra. He is joined by all the musicians for the final piece.
