Three big choral pieces anchored Seattle Pro Musica’s Lenten program, Passio, Saturday night at St. James Cathedral, one each from the early years of the 20th century.
A.M.D.G.: Ad majorem Dei Gloriam, Benjamin Britten’s 1939 setting of seven religious poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, six of which were sung Saturday, are evidence of the young composer’s skill in writing for voices and of his ability to portray the meaning of the words, such as in the lilting “Rosa Mystica” and the vigorous passionate “God’s Grandeur.” There are hints in the music of ideas he would use a few years later for A Ceremony of Carols.
The second came in the middle of Pro Musica’s program, David Lang’s 2008 the little match girl passion, a work which won a Pulitzer Prize that year. It’s a setting, in the style of Bach’s Passions, of Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the poor child selling matches on a bitter winter night who freezes to death, afraid to go home after making no sales, but the sad story is interleaved with her hope and sweet memories. Lang’s style is highly unusual, particularly the way he composes the narrative sections with many pauses and hesitations, many repetitions of a word or phrase.
Lastly, at the end of the program, came part of Alexander Gretchaninov’s Passion Week from 1911-12. This is a relatively unheard composer but this work falls squarely in the mode of his compatriot and contemporary Rachmaninov.
Around these three works, Pro Musica’s artistic director, Karen P. Thomas, programmed ancient plainchant settings and contemporary sacred pieces Paul Mealor, Joan Szymko, Kay Rhie and Kenneth Leighton, plus one from the 17th century, Weelkes’ “When David heard.”
Thomas arranged the program and the singers to give variety to what was a difficult program to sing and often difficult for many listeners to assimilate, due to the dissonance used in many of the more recent works. Both halves of the program began at the west end of the cathedral with small groups singing, either men or women, and followed by plainchant during processionals to the center of the cathedral for the big works, the Lang being sung by just a small group of singers.
As always with this group the vocal quality was very high, and the works chosen complemented by the acoustics of the cathedral. There was little use of vibrato so that harmonies were clear and the sopranos sounded almost like boys, particularly in the very high range used by Britten. It’s never easy to hear words in St. James, so helpful to have them printed in the program. Pitch sense was uniformly excellent.
The Esoterics and founding director Eric Banks (Photo: The Esoterics)
Vast and mysterious, calming and perilous, the ocean has been a source of inspiration for cultures around the world and a rich topic for generations of poets and musicians. This weekend, local choral ensemble The Esoterics celebrates the many moods of the sea with Oceana, a selection of contemporary vocal works spanning several continents. The group’s mini-tour of the Seattle area began on Friday, March 7 with a performance at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Laurelhurst. Performances continue on March 8 with a stop at Capitol Hill’s St. Joseph Catholic Church and conclude on March 9 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle.
Oceana is the first of The Esoterics’ series of “choral ecologies”, concert programs that feature music inspired by natural forces. Upcoming installments in the series include Sylvana, music of the forest, and Aetheria, music of the air. A portion of the proceeds of each performance will go to a non-profit organization working to conserve our natural resources. For Oceana, The Esoterics has chosen Splash, a local group working to provide sustainable sources of clean water to children in developing regions.
It’s no surprise that The Esoterics have been regulars at St. Joseph and Holy Rosary for years; both churches are extraordinarily friendly spaces for contemporary choral music, featuring acoustics that highlight layered harmonies and complex rhythms. This season sees The Esoterics branching out, adding St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church to their stable of venues. Friday’s concert marked the ensemble’s debut performance at St. Stephen’s, located on a quiet residential street in the Laurelhurst neighborhood.
With its steeply pitched roof and warm interior, the church provided an intimate and inviting atmosphere for the nuanced works on the program. Poised against the backdrop of St. Stephen’s beautiful floor-to-ceiling pipe organ, the choir’s 32 voices sounded exceptionally clear and close despite my seat halfway across the long sanctuary.
Known for exciting performances that blend technical mastery with musical drama and emotional depth, The Esoterics were in their element at Friday’s performance, whisking the small crowd away on an exploration of the ocean’s many moods, from calm waters to stormy seas. Nowhere was this more evident than in These oceans vast, founding director Eric Banks’ musical setting of nautical poems by Herman Melville.
Literary legend Melville was an experienced seafarer, his maritime voyages providing the fodder for a large collection of poetry as well as his classic novel Moby Dick. Banks’ These oceans vast arranges six of Melville’s poems in a loose narrative describing a journey through uncharted waters to faraway lands. Commissioned by San Francisco-based choral ensemble Clerestory, the 2012 work captures the spirit of Melville’s text with distinctive rhythms, harmonies, and layered vocal effects. Originally composed for an all-male choir, Banks has since adapted the work for The Esoterics.
Full of rich imagery, the first three movements of These oceans vast show Banks flexing his compositional muscles. In the work’s first movement, “The land of love”, we’re transported dockside with swaggering shouts of “Hail! voyagers, hail!” The rhythmic cries eventually evolve into an accompaniment for the rest of the movement, which extols the virtues of the sea. The voyage continues with “The ledges of danger”, a sailor’s prayer which splits the choir between panicked chanting and sonorous calm. Though jarring at first, the rhythmic and harmonic lurching of “The uttermost rim” eventually coalesced into a convincing interpretation of a rowdy sea shanty, complete with a harmonious chord to accompany the final chorus of “fill up and drink”.
The rest of These oceans vast turns to the introspective, featuring a series of beautiful rising melodies in the fourth movement (“The last outpost”) and fine solo performances by Christine Bell, Elliot Kraber, Kurt Kruckeberg, and Whitney Wishart in the fifth movement (“The lagoons unruffled”). After weathering a harmonic storm, the work concludes with the joy of landfall, though soft chants of the word “sleep” suggest that we might still be adrift, dreaming of land. As Banks’ first commissioned work, These oceans vast is quite an accomplishment, showcasing the composer’s capacity for writing that engages both performers and audience.
English composer Richard Rodney Bennett’s Sea change honors the work of three legendary British poets: Edmund Spenser, Andrew Marvell, and William Shakespeare. These three literary giants paint a picture of the sea as a powerful force full of mysterious isles and hungry sea monsters. Bennett’s experience with jazz and film scores is evident in the four-part Sea change, which injects the old poems with fresh musical character.
The Esoterics brought Bennett’s work to life, from the spooky confusion of Shakespeare’s “The isle is full of noises” (from The Tempest) to the roars and growls of “The waves come rolling”, a verse about sea monsters from Spenser’s 16th century epic The Faerie Queene. The ensemble seemed to relish Bennett’s challenging setting of Spenser’s text. Sung in indeterminate pitch, the piece teeters between unity and cacophony, with lots of fun monster noises in between. It’s a light-hearted romp, but Banks and the ensemble take the piece’s technical challenges seriously, keeping the performance from descending into pure silliness.
Two haunting works from opposite ends of the globe rounded out the evening. In Gösta Nystrœm’s Tre havsvisioner (“Three sea visions”) the Swedish composer reflects on his longtime love for the ocean with a trio of meditative songs based on poetry by fellow Scandinavians. Opening with soft chants that evoke gently rolling waves, Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov’s “Coral del arrecife” (“The coral of the reef”) honors the riches of the ocean, from bright corals to precious sea salt. The brief piece, with text by Pablo Neruda, forms the final movement of Oceana, Golijov’s 1996 masterpiece for orchestra and chorus. It’s a powerful work in its original form, but The Esoterics’ rendition sans orchestra brings extra intimacy to Golijov’s gem of a piece.
The Esoterics perform the Oceana program again on March 8 in Capitol Hill and on March 9 in West Seattle.
For those on the go during the holidays, Choral Arts‘ annual Christmas concert provides an tiny oasis of calm during December’s hustle and bustle. The choir’s hour-long program, sung with no breaks between pieces, is perfectly tailored to busy holiday schedules. The first of two performances of this yuletide program, the December 14th concert at First Hill’s Trinity Church drew a crowd that filled most of the church’s central pews, making for a cozy atmosphere. A second performance was held the next night at the roomier Capitol Hill’s St. Joseph’s.
Robert Bode, Artistic Director of Choral Arts (Photo: Choral Arts)
Ranging from medieval chant to contemporary carols, the medley of choral gems sparkled in Trinity’s intimate space. Despite the emphasis on meditative works that invite reflection and relaxation, the hour seemed to fly by, smoothly flowing from one tune to the next. At the helm, Artistic Director Robert Bode tied the program together with clear conducting and careful pacing. As a final touch, Bode and the ensemble wrapped each piece up with a perfectly-executed conclusion, final chords hanging in the air for just a moment before fading away. This is an ensemble that has mastered art of the juicy ending.
A small ensemble with the sound of a large choir, the 26-voice Choral Arts can do it all, from the rollicking Stephen Foster tune “Hard Times Come Again No More” to Robert Young’s setting of “In the Bleak Midwinter.” While the former flowed with the ease of a hearty pub shanty, filling the Trinity sanctuary, the latter unfolded with the steady pace of footsteps in newly-fallen snow. As the ensemble sung of the frosty morning of the first Christmas, the atmosphere seemed to grow more peaceful and intimate with each stanza.
Two highlights of the program were tiny masterpiece that would be poignant at any time of year. Full of shifting vocal textures, Francis Poulenc’s “Hodie Christus Natus Est” blends unusual harmonies with moving countermelodies in the men’s voices. Jake Runestad‘s “Nada te Turbe” combines staggered melodies passed between sections of the choir with accompaniment that evokes gently rolling waves. The 27-year-old Runestad has already received commissions from ensembles around the country. It’s worth keeping an eye on this young composer as his career unfolds in the coming years.
This year’s concert saw the return of guest guitarist Robert McCafferey-Lent, who performed a series of instrumental interludes and accompanied the ensemble on several pieces. McCafferey-Lent’s mix of gentle guitar melodies and carol excerpts provided an elegant bridge between vocal works. A former Choral Arts singer, the classical and Irish folk guitarist has plenty of experience in blending with a choir. His sensitive accompaniment colored Rick Asher’s “Psallite”, which alternates between peaceful and upbeat sections, and the 16th century chant “O Magnum Mysterium”, sung with tenderness by soprano Rebekah Gilmore.
The hour of music ended with a little bit of audience participation during two classic carols, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “Silent Night”. Bode turned around to conduct the crowd as the sanctuary filled with singing voices, an uplifting conclusion to one of Seattle’s most contemplative and peaceful holiday concert traditions. For those who missed this year’s “Christmas with Choral Arts,” head over to Seattle radio station KING FM’s Soundcloud page, where a streaming recording of the program is available.
Bode and the singers of Choral Arts have a busy schedule in 2014. In March, they’ll sing Brahms’ notoriously difficult “Ein Deutsches Requiem” as part of the University of Washington’s Brahms Symposium. They’ll follow that performance with a program of world folk music in May.
Seattle Pro Musica rehearses at St. James Cathedral (Photo: Seattle Pro Musica)
As one of the 20th century’s most beloved composers, Benjamin Britten stands out for his outstanding choral offerings. Born in 1913, the English composer left a legacy of vocal repertoire that continues to inspire to this day. In celebration of the Britten Centenary, the singers of Seattle Pro Musica have dedicated their annual holiday program the composer’s Christmas-themed choral works, including yuletide favorite A Ceremony of Carols.
Benjamin Britten
The concert pairs Britten classics with lesser-known gems by contemporary composers, making for an appealing blend of new and old that’s bound to delight fans of choral music. Festivities began with two performances at Town Hall on December 7 and continue with two more on December 14 at the Bastyr University Chapel. The program focuses on Britten’s fascination with historical texts, from 15th century British carols to 19th century poetry. Throughout his career, Britten drew upon older pieces of writing as compositional sources, passing on his penchant for combining ancient text with new music to many of today’s choral composers.
Directed by Karen P. Thomas, the 80-member Seattle Pro Musica continues to charm audiences with their annual Christmas concert, which has become a local holiday tradition. This year’s Britten celebration follows on the heels of other Seattle Pro Musica events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the composer’s birth, including a performance of the massive War Requiem in June alongside the Seattle Symphony and Chorale.
December 7th’s afternoon concert began with a candlelight procession performed by the women of the choir. The ensemble filed through the auditorium and onto the Town Hall stage while singing a medieval English Christmas chant, “A solis ortus cardine”. This opening provided a meditative counterpoint to the more energetic works ahead, while also paying tribute to the ancient chants and texts that inspired Britten and others.
Two suites of yuletide carols by Britten anchored the program, one written during the composer’s youth and the other as he was reaching artistic maturity. Composed when Britten was just 19, A Boy was Born demonstrates the budding composition student’s gift for creating complex vocal textures and using musical effects to “illustrate” words or phrases. The suite of seven carols follows a theme and variations format that explores a variety of musical moods, from the ethereal opening chorale to the victorious fanfare of the sixth and final variation, “Noel”. Thomas and the choir expertly navigated the sudden transitions between variations, which often flowed from one to another through a connecting syllable or note.
The combination of Britten’s descriptive writing and Seattle Pro Musica’s vocal versatility resulted in many magical moments during A Boy was Born’s seven movements. In the fifth variation, “In the Bleak Mid-winter”, soprano Chrissie Graham’s lush voice soared overhead in a mournful allegory of Jesus’ death. Her solo was accompanied by soft chants of the phrase “snow on snow” from the choir, transporting me to a winter landscape framed by the steady fall of snowflakes.
Premiered in 1942, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols is full of similarly rich sonic illustrations and layered harmonies. Like A Boy was Born, A Ceremony of Carols demonstrates Britten’s penchant for all things old, especially his love for historic English poetry and chant. The work begins with a processional strikingly similar to the medieval chant that opened the concert and quickly departs on a whirlwind tour of musical expression.
Nuanced accompaniment by harpist Catherine Barrett blended well with the choir in both solo and ensemble sections. Particularly moving was the brief third movement, “That younge childe”, which featured Barrett and soprano Amanda Jessup echoing each other on a melody full of sorrowful sighs. Barrett’s playing evoked a variety of imagery throughout the work, from a rocking cradle to the biting winter wind. With this foundation, the women of Seattle Pro Musica filled in the rest of the musical story. Dramatic movements like “This little Babe” showcased the choir at its best, weaving together overlapping melodies with an ease that left me enraptured.
A surprise hit of the concert was the choir’s performance of Conrad Susa’s Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest. Susa, who just passed away in November, wrote the piece as a companion to A Ceremony of Carols. Based on Spanish and Latin-American carols, the colorful choral suite adds guitar and marimba along with harp accompaniment. Guitarist Michael Partington and percussionist Timothy Helming brought just the right amount of Latin flavor to the suite’s ten movements.
Though the traditional Spanish tunes in Carols and Lullabies probably aren’t familiar to most American audience members, their celebratory spirit and catchy melodies give them instant appeal. The carol “Alegría” begs for a sing-along, especially given Susa’s arrangement. Baritones Jeff Myers, Jon Repp, and Lee Maneman lustily belted out the verses, then were joined by the full choir for the refrain. Other movements featured more complex harmonies influenced by Spanish folk songs and dances. With its tongue-twisting title and guitar-tinged refrain, “Chiquirriquitín” provided lots of folksy fun for both audience and choir.
Like Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Susa’s Carols and Lullabies is full of solos, duets, instrumental interludes, and opportunities for the entire ensemble to shine. Full of vivid colors, Seattle Pro Musica’s performance swept me away from the Seattle chill to a boisterous Latin-American Christmas celebration in warmer climes. The final carol in Susa’s suite captures the work’s exuberance, complete with emphatic strums on the guitar to emphasize the cries of “Fum! Fum! Fum!” in the refrain. Like much of the piece, it has an infectious melody which stuck with me long after the concert ended, leaving me hoping that Susa’s work will be performed more regularly.
Several Christmas-themed works by contemporary composers may have received their Seattle premiere at the December 7 performance, including Bernard Hughes’ “The Shepherd’s Carol” and Gabriel Jackson’s “The Christ-child”. Originally commissioned by the Seattle Men’s Chorus, Alice Parker’s romp Roll round with the year brought a bit of jolly good fun to round out the program.
Northwest Boychoir’s “A Festival of Lessons & Carols” (Photo: Northwest Choirs)
The holiday concert season may already be in full swing, but there’s still a full calendar of festive musical events set to spread Christmas cheer all around the Seattle area. Our list is just a small sampling of the vast seasonal offerings at this time of year, but we guarantee that you’ll find something here for everyone, from grandma to your hipster cousin. Christmas overload? We’ve included a few non-holiday-themed offerings for yuletide-weary souls.
Dec. 13 — The perfect gift for an avid early music fan! The Tudor Choir celebrates Advent with a program of Renaissance carols and motets at the intimate Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church chapel. This is a busy month for the ensemble. On December 28, they’ll perform a hearty mix of English Christmas carols and classics at the University District’s Blessed Sacrament Church.
Dec. 13 – 14 — As the winter chill sets in, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons provides a timely reminder that the cold and grey won’t last forever. The Seattle Symphony presents two performances of this audience favorite, one on December 13 as part of the casual “Symphony Untuxed” series, and another on December 14 with regularly-tuxedoed orchestra.
Dec. 13 – 22 — Handbell ensemble Bells of the Sound performs holiday favorites at a series of concerts hosted by churches around the Puget Sound region. The 15-member group will travel from Bellingham to Poulsbo on their December tour, with stops in Seattle, Renton, Bellevue, and Lynnwood.
Dec. 13 – 23 — The Northwest Boychoir‘s annual Christmas concert combines holiday readings with favorite yuletide songs. Hear “A Festival of Lessons and Carols” at some of Seattle’s best musical venues, including St. Mark’s Cathedral and West Seattle’s Holy Rosary Church, as well as a special performance at Benaroya Hall with the Northwest Sinfonietta.
Dec 13 – 29 — Of course, the big ticket in town this holiday season is Pacific Northwest Ballet‘s Nutcracker. Each year, PNB’s production charms audiences of all ages with Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, Maurice Sendak’s gorgeous sets, and breathtaking performances from a cast of over 200 dancers. Read Pippa’s review of this year’s PNB Nutcracker production for more details about this Seattle tradition.
Dec. 14 — This year, Seattle Pro Musica‘s annual holiday concert honors Benjamin Britten. The English composer, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year, penned several Christmas-themed choral works, including his beloved Ceremony of Carols. The singers of Seattle Pro Musica perform this holiday favorite alongside festive pieces by contemporary composers inspired by Britten.
Dec. 14 – 15 — Take a break from the whirlwind of shopping, cooking, and decorating with Choral Arts‘ Christmas program. Boasting the motto “Not Your Typical Holiday Concert,” the performance aims to help audiences relax and unwind with a medley of ancient chant, traditional carols, and contemporary works. Guitarist Bob McCaffery-Lent performs instrumental interludes between choral pieces.
Dec. 15 — The annual performance of Handel’s Messiah is a holiday tradition for many local ensembles. But for true Handel fans, Orchestra Seattle & Seattle Chamber Singers presents Seattle’s must-see Messiah. Thought many Messiah concerts trim Handel’s lengthy score to fit into a typical two-hour program, OSSCS’ Messiah is an afternoon-long event that features the work in its entirety, ensuring that you won’t miss a note of this Christmas favorite.
Dec. 15 — For a slightly different take on Handel’s Messiah, drop by Green Lake United Methodist Church for Seattle Mandolin Orchestra‘s “Mandolin Messiah.” Hear an abbreviated version of Handel’s masterpiece performed by an all-mandolin ensemble. They’ll be joined by four vocal soloists in this unusual homage to the holiday classic.
Dec. 21 — Part public sound sculpture, part flash-mob, Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night is an annual tradition that brings a wintry soundscape to neighborhoods around the country. Each participant downloads one of Kline’s four musical tracks onto an audio device of their choosing, then gathers with the group for a musical stroll through the city streets. Beginning at Wallingford’s Good Shepherd Center, Seattle’s performance of Unsilent Night is free, open to the public, and a unique way to get into the holiday spirit..
Dec. 21 — The Medieval Women’s Choir performs a program of 12th century sacred works originating from abbeys in France, Germany, and Spain. Experience the same music that medieval legends Hildegard of Bingen and Héloise d’Argenteuil may have heard during their time as nuns at these abbeys.
Dec. 24 — Join one of Seattle’s newest orchestras for a Christmas Eve celebration. Ensign Symphony & Chorus presents the second concert of their inaugural season at Benaroya Hall, where they’ll treat audiences to a medley of sacred and secular holiday favorites.
Dec. 28 – Jan. 4 — Ring in the new year with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and the good tidings of “Ode To Joy.” This year, Seattle Symphony & Chorale pairs the Ninth with another classic, Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn.
Dec. 29 — After a month of Christmas carols, there’s nothing like chamber music to celebrate the end of another joyous holiday season. The Byron Schenkman & Friends concert series continues with a collection of Vivaldi concertos. Harpsichordist Schenkman will be joined by a chamber orchestra of baroque winds and strings for this performance at Benaroya Hall’s cozy Nordstrom Recital Hall.
John Cage fans, rejoice! This month marks the hundredth anniversary of the legendary composer’s birth, kicking off Cage centennial events throughout the country. Born on September 5, 1912, the experimental composer made an indelible impact on the cultural landscape of the 20th century.
Everyone seems to be hosting a John Cage birthday celebration this month, from major symphony orchestras to the New York Mycological Society. (Unfamiliar with mycology? It’s the study of mushrooms. Cage was an avid mycologist who amassed a large mushroom collection and occasionally referenced his love for the fungi in his musical compositions).
Last weekend, Seattle-based vocal ensemble The Esoterics hosted an ambitious Cage tribute of their own, featuring three performances of works from Cage’s Songbook (1958-1970) along with several of the composer’s Number Pieces. The concerts were held at churches around the city, with shows in the Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, and West Seattle neighborhoods.
I attended the Sunday afternoon performance at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle, which provides a lovely acoustic atmosphere for a choral concert. However, this event was far from an typical choir performance. Half musical compositions, half performance art pieces, Cage’s short works blend virtuosic vocal techniques with a healthy dose of postmodern randomness and absurdity.
As audience members trickled in to the sanctuary before the performance, they were greeted by the spectacle of four singers clustered on the steps leading up to the dais, each acting very strangely. One singer was in the midst of what seemed like a yoga workout. Another was making car noises while pretending to drive. The other two seemed to be practicing a strange vocal exercise while untangling a ball of yarn.
No one had actually lost their marbles — this was simply a performance of Four6, one of Cage’s Number Pieces. Composed in 1990, near the end of the composer’s life, the work requires a quartet of performers to select a sequence of sounds from a list. Each sound is paired with an accompanying action which must be carried out while the performer is making the sound. The score instructs the four performers when to switch between sounds.
This pre-concert performance set the tone for the rest of the show. Led by director Eric Banks, The Esoterics maintained an atmosphere that was light-hearted and humorous, but interspersed with moments of profound beauty and virtuosity. During much of the performance, the thirty-member ensemble stood in a tight semi-circle around the audience, enabling the crowd to experience the action up close. The overall result was a concert that was fascinating and fun for its entire ninety-minute duration, even without an intermission break.
I sat next to a trio of young girls who remained captivated and engaged throughout the performance, giggling at the humorous parts and responding to invitations to interact with the singers. This is no small feat — those who have brought young children to classical music concerts know the difficulties of keeping restless kids quiet and interested in an atmosphere that requires silence and attention. Parents, take note: Children and century avant-garde classical music concerts make for a winning combination.
Much of the concert was devoted to performances of songs from Cage’s Songbook (1958-1970). This set of 92 short pieces for voice is a veritable grab-bag of vocal gymnastics, absurdist actions, bizarre texts, and plain old comedy. The Esoterics performed 42 of the 92 songs at Sunday’s concert (the rest require electronics). Some of the pieces were definitely more song-like than others.
Several songs involved texts set to music, including excerpts “from various books on mushrooms”, newspaper headlines from September 1970, and quotes from Henry David Thoreau’s Essay on Civil Disobedience. Others were more reminiscent of performance art than musical works. Song #26 consists of a singer playing a game of solitaire. #71 requires the sol0ist to “sketch a card or note in ink”. A handful of songs instruct the performers to leave the auditorium and return after a brief interval.
Not all of the Songbook (1958-1970) pieces are steeped in absurd hilarity. Some are charming, some meditative, and some clever. The most beautiful performances of the afternoon involved the entire ensemble. For these pieces, Banks traversed the semi-circle of performers, stopping in front of each singer to assign them a pitch to sing and hold. As he made his way around the circle, adding voices to the mix, the aural texture grew increasingly complex and layered. The process was reminiscent of lighting a row of candles to illuminate a dark room.
The concert was rounded out with a full-ensemble performance of two other Number Pieces, Five and Four2. Both of these featured long, drawn-out pitches in different voices. The excitement and beauty of these pieces is found in the tension and dissonances that occur when the pitches overlap in different ways.
The Esoterics aren’t the only ensemble in town celebrating John Cage’s life and works. Next month, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) teams up with members of the Seattle Symphony for a concert of 20th century music, including Cage’s Variations III. In early November, Seattle Modern Orchestra presents a John Cage Festival, featuring a multimedia documentary about the composer as well as performances of several of Cage’s works, including the Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra.
