Merinda Dias-Jayasinha: Melodic Fictions + Lena Douglas

A heavenly evening of voice.

7:30pm ~ Doors
8:00 - 8.40pm ~ Lena Douglas
9:00 - 9.50pm ~ Melodic Fictions (featuring vocalists Merinda Dias-Jayasinha, Hannah Cameron, Imogen Cygler, Lena Douglas, and Hannah McKittrick.)

VENUE: Northcote Uniting Church Hall - 251 High Street, Northcote 3070. This is a seated event (with standing space also) - we will have chairs, pillows, couches, and rugs also.

This event will be alcohol free, but we will have many varieties of tea available.

We acknowledge that this event takes place on Wurundjeri Land and pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.

LINKS
Merinda Dias-Jayasinha: https://merindadias.bandcamp.com/
Lena Douglas: https://lenadouglas.bandcamp.com/

MELODIC FICTIONS

Melodic Fictions is a contemporary choral, improvised layered work by creative vocalist Merinda Dias-Jayasinha. The work will be crafted live by Merinda, in collaboration with vocalists Hannah Cameron, Imogen Cygler, Lena Douglas, and Hannah McKittrick - four artists whose unique voices and sensitivity bring new life to the work. Together, the ensemble creates an expansive vocal landscape that is deeply transportive, gestural, and imaginative.

The recorded work, Melodic Fictions, was inspired by Merinda's experience working on choreographer Siobhan McKenna's 'Rhythmic Fictions' in 2022, working with dancers to discover sounding their own voices, and performances that culminated in a collective sound bath. Merinda recorded five improvised sonic portraits for each dancer - Claire, Emma, Siobhan, Belle, and Rachel. An offering of gratitude; a unique reflection of an ephemeral experience.

The live work debuted in December 2025 at Phoenix Central Park in Sydney, with the ensemble consisting of Merinda Dias-Jayasinha, Hannah Cameron, Imogen Cygler, Hannah McKittrick, and Ebony Tait.

MERINDA DIAS-JAYASINHA

Merinda Dias-Jayasinha is a unique genre-crossing Australian vocalist, recognised for preternatural intonation, creative versatility and sweetness and variety of tone, whether in a haze of vocal layers or a single heartfelt lyric. Multi-talented and perennially pluralistic as a performer, composer and improviser, her music slips fluidly between genres and beyond into other disciplines.

“She has a dedication to stretching musical boundaries… She does not surround herself with safety nets… The hallmark is the determination of Dias-Jayasinha to allow her collaborators to be themselves, and for all of them to take creative flight.” – MUSIC TRUST

LENA DOUGLAS

Lena Douglas emerged from Melbourne’s band scene as a keys player, but in recent years has shifted her focus towards the voice, songwriting and production — working with sung melodies, sampling, and experimentations with autotune. Her 2024 release Stockerz highlights a collage-like approach to form, weaving together acoustic textures, pop energy, and intricate harmonic progressions. She is currently working on a new album informed by the two years she spent studying at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen.