‘Like turning your soul inside out’: Barbara Hannigan and Laura Bowler on their devastating composition The White Book

These breathtaking songs of loss left the soprano and the composer feeling shellshocked after the world premiere in Gothenburg. We meet them backstage as they prepare for the British debutIt’s the morning after the night before when I meet Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan and British composer and vocalist Laura Bowler. We’re in Gothenburg, backstage at the Swedish city’s sleek Konserthus. The previous evening, Hannigan sang the world premiere of Bowler’s new work, The White Book, with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Neither has slept well. Hannigan stayed up eating cheese brought from home in France and talking with her assistant conductor. Bowler was “so wired” she was awake until 2am.Both seem shellshocked. They are also keen to compare notes, which is why portions of our conversation feel less like an interview and more like an adrenaline-fuelled debrief. And not just a debrief, either. In high-energy asides, they discuss the importance of travelling wi