US composer Kali Malone was forced to cancel a concert over the weekend following protests from a far-right Catholic fundamentalist group.
Due to take place at Church Saint-Cornély in the French town of Carnac last Saturday, May 13th, the show was cancelled after 32 people affiliated with Civitas, a movement that defines itself as a "traditionalist Catholic lobby group," demonstrated outside the 17th-century Renaissance monument.
According to a joint Instagram post from Malone and Sunn O))) founder Stephen O'Malley, who organised the event, some members of the group forced entry to the church, while others blocked the entrance, preventing the concert from taking place.
"After an hour of unsuccessful negotiations, and faced with the risk of violence on the part of the integralists, the mayor of the town of Carnac decided to cancel the concert," the post read. "The artist and the event production and technicians weren't in the church at the time of the occupation, and were not part of the negotiation process."
The protesters described the show as "profanatory," according to regional newspaper Ouest-France. They brandished signs that read "electro in a church, what are our bishops doing?" and "my house is a house of prayer," among other things.
Malone further addressed the situation in a second statement, sent to Resident Advisor. "Art and music are powerful, essential and vital because they exist in unexplainable ways, not entirely understandable, nor should they be," she said. "Like spirituality, art and music's function is to raise questions and lead new paths of comprehension and transcendence. Meditation through art is a way to go beyond your own perceptual capacity, leading to new possibilities of understanding and sensitivity. It's the role of art to invigorate our minds and hearts, to inspire new ways of perceiving, being and connecting with the world by elevating our spirit and emotional intellect.
"It's always with deep respect and honour which I enter churches to perform in, where I openly and kindly meet people of all faiths, so we can come together to present moving concerts of my music. We're very sad that this happened on Saturday night. We're grateful that my concert on Friday night at Saint Cornély, on two chest organs and with the choir Macadam Ensemble, was a serene and successful performance. Thanks to Father Dominique le Quernec, Mayor Olivier Lepick of Carnac, and all of our team and partners for their unwavering support and trust. And thank you our wonderful and respectful audience for staying safe and peaceful in the face of these far-right integralists."
Formed in 1999, Civitas has been classified as a "religious nationalist," "anti-LGBTQ+," and "conspiracy" group by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. The group has previously organised demonstrations against Paris theatre performances.
Malone, who is based in Stockholm, released a project with O'Malley earlier this year. They'll perform together at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen in September.
Read their joint post in full, and check out more photos of the incident.
Photos: David Naugle
Correction, May 15th: A previous headline suggested that Kali Malone cancelled the concert, when in fact the local authorities made the final decision.
Photos: David Naugle Correction, May 15th: A previous headline suggested that Kali Malone cancelled the concert, when in fact the local authorities made the final decision.