Rubiks make their performance debut at the McClelland Sculpture Gallery and Park, as part of the Music at McClelland series.

In the northeast Pacific in the late 1980s, oceanographers detected a uniquely high-pitched whale song that had never been documented before. It seemed to be coming from a single individual. Scientists dubbed it the ‘52-Hertz Whale,’ and continued to record it whenever its song was detected. To this day, the whale continues to sing, but has never been sighted, nor been identified by species. Its migration patterns resemble those of the rorqual whale family—blue and fin whales specifically—but its voice is much higher. The recordings suggest the whale has never found a mate or a pod; whether this is because other whales can’t hear it, or do not recognise it as one of their species, is not known. It has been called by some “the world’s loneliest whale.”

Rorqual takes the story of the 52-Hertz Whale as the inspiration for an intimate and affecting work that journeys through withdrawal, solitude, resilience, and connection. Using found and repurposed texts drawn from the deep past to the present, composer Wally Gunn’s song cycle fuses classical and indie-rock music, and features the ethereal vocals of jazz singer Gian Slater.

Journey from the ocean’s shimmering surface to its mysterious depths, as Rubiks evoke the story of this modern-day mythological creature that continues to sing its one-of-a-kind song.

Music at McClelland is generously supported by Igor Zambelli, Mary-Jane Gething AO and The Robert Salzer Foundation. It is a seated event and is held in the Sarah and Baillieu Myer Education Pavilion.