Michael Cloud Duguay: Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go

Wild Lots and Eltuek Arts Centre present a special matinee performance of Michael Cloud Duguay’s Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go, with Grieving Machines, an installation by Bleachlake, at Historic St. George’s Church.

In June 2024, Duguay and his collaborators travelled more than 1,500 kilometres across Newfoundland in a self-built, solar-powered mobile studio, recording seven historic church organs in seven remote communities. Along the way, they gathered field recordings and conversations with church wardens, reverends, congregants, and community members, documenting not only the distinct voices of these instruments and spaces, but their histories and uncertain futures as churches close and congregations decline.

The resulting Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go moves through composition, improvisation, field recording, and documentary practice, responding directly to the environments in which it was made. For the live performance, Duguay + his collaborators (Andrew MacKelvie, Markus Lake, Dave Grenon) use digital instruments created from the original organs, accompanied by saxophone, photo, and live sound design and processing. The sounds of those Newfoundland people and places are carried with them into each new space.

Its presentation at Historic St. George’s Church carries a particular resonance. Built between 1785 and 1791, St. George’s is the oldest building in Sydney and sits at the heart of the city’s vibrant and revitalizing North End. The setting of this performance speaks to a much longer song sung between Newfoundland and Unama’ki, Cape Breton Island. For generations, Islanders have moved to and from, carrying kinship, work, music, stories, and ways of life, of land and sea, with them. Cape Bretoners settled in Newfoundland and stayed, while Newfoundlanders came in significant numbers to the coal and steel communities of Unama’ki.

Released in July 2026 on Duguay’s Watch That Ends The Night Records, Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go has drawn international attention for its distinctive approach to sound, place, and documentation. The Quietus called the work “enthralling, rich, and absorbing,” with coverage also appearing in The Guardian, The Wire, The FADER, CBC Radio, and others.

Before the main performance, from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m., Bleachlake will present Grieving Machines, inviting audiences into a radio-based installation and immersive sound experience. Bleachlake’s Grieving Machines is presented with support from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s Creative Catalyst Program.

Together, the works move through different forms of listening, through what is carried across distance, what we search for, and what we hold space for in its absence.

Sunday, September 27, 2026
Historic St. George’s Church, 119 Charlotte Street, Sydney
Doors 2:00 p.m. | Music 2:30 p.m.

Tickets: $20 advance / $25 at the door / NOTAFLOF*

* NOTAFLOF No One Turned Away For Lack Of Funds. Please contact us at wiiiiiildlots@gmail.com in advance, or speak with us at the door.

Get tickets: https://bit.ly/4g0rVxe