Tag: the esoterics

Whim W’him, The Esoterics, and St. Helens String Quartet’s Exquisite “Approaching Ecstasy” Blends Genres, Bodies
Arts & Entertainment, Dance, Music, Theatre

Whim W’him, The Esoterics, and St. Helens String Quartet’s Exquisite “Approaching Ecstasy” Blends Genres, Bodies

“Approaching Ecstasy,” an exuberant genre-combining production by Whim W’him, The Esoterics, and the St. Helens String Quartet at the Intiman Theatre, sets the poetry of fin de siècle gay Egyptian writer Constantine P. Cavafy to music and dance. Constantine Cavafy, who died in 1933, spent his life hiding his sexuality, but his poetry–and this performance–hold nothing back. Eric Banks translated the poetry from the original Greek into “singable” English, set the love & lust poems to music he composed, and conducted the St. Helens String Quartet. He met Whim W’him choreographer Olivier Wevers through mutual friends four years ago and proposed this project. “Approaching Ecstasy” is worth the wait. Continue reading Whim W’him, The Esoterics, and St. Helens String Quartet’s Exquisite “Approaching Ecstasy” Blends Genres, Bodies

<em>Approaching ecstasy</em> Pours Cavafy’s Poetry into Liquid Bones in Suits
Arts & Entertainment, Dance, Music

Approaching ecstasy Pours Cavafy’s Poetry into Liquid Bones in Suits

There’s no question that Cavafy is a major poet, but his reputation had to wait until society caught up to him. Though he worked as a nondescript ministry clerk for years, Cavafy made of his poetry a treasure house of the erotic, sensual, visceral–every fleeting thing that shot through the body, he trapped not in amber but in ink, refusing (as Auden later wrote of him) “to pretend that his memories of moments of sensual pleasure are unhappy or spoiled by feelings of guilt.” Continue reading Approaching ecstasy Pours Cavafy’s Poetry into Liquid Bones in Suits

Getting in on the Ground Floor with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras
Arts & Entertainment, Music

Getting in on the Ground Floor with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras

Among the groups which have opened their arms to SYSO are Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Theatre Group, Seattle Chamber Music Society, the 5th Avenue Theatre and Seattle Opera. Next week, Sunday, May 20, as the last performance of its regular three-concert season, SYSO’s senior orchestra, Seattle Youth Symphony, performs a major choral work for the first time, Verdi’s Requiem. Continue reading Getting in on the Ground Floor with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras

On Capitol Hill, A Wealth of Alternatives to Alternative Music
Arts & Entertainment, Music

On Capitol Hill, A Wealth of Alternatives to Alternative Music

Last Friday night, I began my evening at St. Joseph’s Church on the north of Capitol Hill, with The Esoterics concert “Sirene.” Founded and led by conductor/composer Eric Banks, The Esoterics are a choral group that sings a cappella, shunning musical instruments for the most part. […] By the time Zubatto Syndicate, the neo-big band jazz ensemble that likes to rock, was throwing down their cover of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” the restraining walls of genre had disintegrated completely. Continue reading On Capitol Hill, A Wealth of Alternatives to Alternative Music

Seattle’s Other Indie Music Scene
Arts & Entertainment, Music

Seattle’s Other Indie Music Scene

Thanks to the internet, these groups can be more indie than indie: Zubatto Syndicate’s CD was funded by Kickstarter. They can also be more esoteric than even the most esoteric record store could hope to shelve. The Esoterics choir has 12 CDs out, from their latest collection of Samuel Barber’s choral works to collections inspired by sonnets, Islam, and the mandala. And the Jason Parker Quartet surprised everyone by turning Nick Drake into “Endlessly listenable, accessible, genius jazz” raved The Examiner.com. Not satisfied with that Spekulation mashed up Parker’s take with Jay-Z. Continue reading Seattle’s Other Indie Music Scene