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2008 Press |
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Information and downloadable images related to upcoming events and Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild classes and programs. Media are invited to download text and/or images for use in print and electronic publications. For past press information: 2008 Press Archive, 2007 Press Archive or 2006 Press Archive. For more information, contact Susan E. Schonhorn, Assistant Director for Programs, woodstockguild[at]hvc.rr.com or call, [845] 679-2079. |
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| March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | MarchKleinert/James Arts Center Re-opens with MERASI: The Hearts of Hope Tour 2Dates: Saturday, March 15th at 8pm & Sunday, March 16th at 11am The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is pleased to present MERASI, our inaugural concerts in the newly renovated Kleinert/James Arts Center, on Saturday, March 15 at 8pm and Sunday, March 16 at 11am. Merasi (musician/keeper of the stories) declare that music is in their blood. They perform a diverse mix of Rajasthani Folk, Sacred Hindu Bhajans, Sufi and Qawwali songs. Join us to celebrate the K/J’s re-opening as we travel to the fabled caravan routes of desert India with this ensemble. Folk Arts Rajasthan’s second Hearts with Hope Tour is a rare opportunity to witness a world class artistic legacy charged with passion, mastery, and social significance. Formed by Sarwar Khan of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Merasi; the keepers of a 37 generations intact musical heritage present an invigorating mosaic of sacred Hindu, Sufi, and traditional Music of varied flavors, rhythms and intensities. The Merasi descend from a 37-generation old folk music legacy that is now threatened with total extinction by rapid Indian modernization.
Mr. Sarwar Khan is the leader of the group, which is hosted by New York-based artist Karen Lukas. Karen co-founded the group more than a decade ago and traveled with them on their first tour of the United States, Rangeela: The Hearts of Hope Tour, which the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild presented in 2005. Karen and Sarwar Khan represent the international nongovernmental organization Lok Kala Sagar Sansthan (LKSS) and their US counterpart, a nonprofit organization called Folk Arts Rajasthan (FAR). Together they work to provide humanitarian relief, education, and jobs for impoverished Merasi residents of the state of Rajasthan. The Merasi, which literally means “keepers of the story,” are musicians and storytellers with a tradition dating back centuries. Kleinert/James Arts Center Presents Grammy-Award Winning Irish Vocalist Susan McKeownDate and Time: Saturday, March 22nd at 8pm The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is pleased to present Grammy-award winning vocalist Susan McKeown on Saturday, March 22nd at 8pm. Once heard, you would never take Susan McKeown for anyone else. The strong, richly-colored contralto and the enlivening intelligence of her songs marked her as a distinctive talent upon the release of her debut album ‘Bones’ (SNG 1995). The adventurous vocalist has gone on to record nine more albums spanning the realms of world music and folk-rock, and her March '08 tour comes after three years of touring with The Klezmatics for their Grammy-award-winning album 'Wonder Wheel', with lyrics by Woody Guthrie. This time Susan is returning to her songwriter roots. Her writing is inventive and emotion-centered, and the new songs will reflect her take on love, life and letting go. Accompanied by Aidan Brennan on guitar and bassist Lindsey Horner, the set will also dip into favorite songs from her recordings.
This adventurous vocalist grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where she was greatly influenced by her mother, an organist and composer. As a teenager she abandoned a promised opera career through Dublin’s College of Music, choosing instead to sing on the streets of her hometown, and she left for New York City when she won a scholarship to attend a performing arts school there. Settling in the East Village, she began carving out a career as a singer-songwriter. Her often-dark lyrics draw influences from sources as far flung as the ancient Irish legend of The Táin, the words of Chief Seattle, the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and urban life in Manhattan. Her arrangements are inventive and striking, from the hurdy-gurdy solo on the rock song "I Know, I Know" (Bones, 1996 Prime/SNG) to the pairing of banjo and erhu on "The Lowlands of Holland" (Lowlands, 2000 Green Linnet). Her album 'Sweet Liberty' (2004 World Village) drew accolades and a BBC Folk Music Award nomination for her beautiful arrangements and collaborations with Mariachi Real de Mexico and Ensemble Tartit. A prolific recording artist, Susan has built an impressive career through her many releases and extensive touring. Her music has been featured in documentary programs on BBC, RTE, ABC (Australia), PBS and on National Public Radio. She has performed with Natalie Merchant, Pete Seeger, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Linda Thompson, Billy Bragg, Johnny Cunningham and The Klezmatics.
This show is made possible by support from The New York State Music Fund established by The New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. AprilKleinert/James Arts Center Re-Opens With Annual Members Show 2008: "New"Date and Time: Saturday, April 12 through Sunday, May 4, 2008. The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild proudly presents the annual MEMBERS SHOW 2008: ‘NEW’, opening on April 12 from 5 to 7pm and running through Sunday, May 4, as our inaugural exhibition in the newly remodeled Kleinert/James Arts Center. To help WBG celebrate the K/J’s reopening, we have selected ‘New’ as this year’s theme. This way all Members can take part in ushering in this new phase of the Guild’s history. The exhibition features painting, sculpture, prints and photography by Members of the WBG. Ceramics will also be exhibited by students of the year-round Byrdcliffe Ceramics Program (located at WBG’s historic Byrdcliffe Arts Colony), which operates under the direction of Program Coordinator, Rich Conti. Under the direction of legendary jeweler and WBG instructor Robin Ludwig, jewelry students will also be exhibiting their work. The WBG’s Jewelry Program has been offering classes year-round in the Tinker Room at 34 Tinker Street, since 1939. The Members Show is open to all WBG members. This year, at least eighty Members will be participating in the Show. Each Member may submit up to three works with a size limit of 60” in diameter. MEMBERS SHOW 2008: ‘NEW’ will be guest installed by visionary artist Christina Varga, founder and owner of Woodstock’s VARGA Gallery, which opened in 2003. VARGA Gallery exhibits eclectic, innovative artists with unique works and uninhibited style. VARGA Gallery serves as the studio and exhibition space of Christina Varga, in addition to her Gallery of emerging as well as established outsider and self-taught artists. Christina is currently exhibiting her triptych of Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland in their 13th exhibit entitled "All Faiths Beautiful" through October, 2008. VARGA Gallery is located at: 130 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY. For more information visit VARGA’s website, www.vargagallery.com, or call: (845) 679-4005. The Members Show is part of the weeklong cultural and culinary arts celebration ‘Woodstock: A Taste of the Arts’. For more information about this special event visit: www.woodstockartsconsortium.org. Kid and Family WorkshopsFamily Sing-Along with Nancy ChusidDate: Friday, April 25, 2008 Join us for a family sing-along directed by Byrdcliffe Musical Director, Nancy Chusid. Kid and Family WorkshopsJazz Improvisation Workshop with Harvey BoyerDate: Friday, April 25, 2008 Harvey Boyer, Woodstock Day School's Music Teacher, presents a jazz improvisation workshop for elementary school children. MayAnnual Spring CelebrationDate: Friday, May 09, 2008 The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is delighted to invite the entire community to join us for our annual Spring Celebration at the Kleinert/James Arts Center on Friday, May 9th at 7pm. Under the direction of Nancy Chusid, Byrdcliffe’s Musical Director, the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild’s Community Choir and Children’s Chorus will merrily sing songs from around the world to illuminate our spirits and warm our hearts. This glorious evening also features stories, art, poetry and dancing. Come and take part in our evening of spring cheer! Admission is free, but we welcome all donations to support the Guild’s ongoing roster of quality arts classes for children and adults throughout the Hudson Valley. Nancy Chusid has been collecting songs and playing music on the recorder and oboe her whole life. She has worked with choruses for over twenty years and performed at various venues, including Lincoln Center Out of Doors. In addition, Nancy is the author, illustrator and producer of a series of songbooks and tapes for children titled “Sing-along for Little Ones: Folk Songs, Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes”. "blue"Dates: Saturday, May 10 - June 15, 2008 Brings together artists who work in a variety of media and incorporate this primary color into their work in very different ways. Resulting in a diverse group of works having the quality of “blueness” in common. Curator: Portia Munson. BLUE is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440-490nm.
The exhibition "blue" brings together artists who work in a variety of media. Each of the artists incorporate this primary color into their work in very different ways, resulting in a diverse group of works having the quality of "blueness" in common. Ann Agee's blue-and-white Delft porcelain ceramic interpretation of everyday modern life. Rudie Berkhout's blue laser installation and blue hologram. Andrew Dupont's abstract paintings emerging out of blue enamel surfaces. Richard Edelman's photographs of deserted Kingston landscapes with blue skies and a blue point of view. Donald Elder's oil paintings of ethereal landscapes blue in both color and atmosphere. Betsy Friedman's scratch art drawings and painting, all circles of blue. Marsha Ginsberg's photographs of previously inhabited places focusing on a blue subject: a couch, an empty pool, a room. Valerie Hammond's mysterious indigo works on paper. Heather Hutchison's large-scale translucent blue encaustic painting. Eva Melas' photographs of advertisements featuring women. Dina Palin's photographs taken through wet blue windshields. Fran Willing's layered and oozing blue-pigmented abstract paintings.
Dina Palin, "Blue", 2008 Mother’s Day Celebration with The Mother-Daughter String BandAbby Newton, Lyn Hardy, Ruth Ungar Merenda & Rosie NewtonDate: Sunday, May 11, 2008 The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is pleased to present a unique Mother’s Day celebration with The Mother-Daughter String Band: Lyn Hardy & Abby Newton and their daughters Ruth Ungar Merenda & Rosie Newton. The band plays fiddles, cello, guitar, ukulele, banjo and sings old and new folk repertoire. This Mother's Day weekend, these four spectacular women will be joining musical forces to perform beautiful mother-daughter harmonies and play old-time, Celtic and contemporary tunes that they love.
Lyn Hardy and Abby Newton performed and recorded together in the 1970's with John Cohen and Jay Ungar in "The Putnam String County Band." It was in this decade that Ruth Ungar Merenda was born, into a great old-time string band resurgence in New York's Hudson Valley. In the 1980's, Lyn moved to Western Massachusetts and toured with the all-female folk band "Rude Girls". During this era Abby began playing Celtic music while touring Scotland and the US with Jean Redpath. Rosie was born around this time and also raised on many of the same tunes that Ruth had absorbed earlier, such as Lyn and Abby's beautiful versions of "Black Jack Davey" and "Turtle Dove." Currently, Abby performs with the Celtic folk group "Ferintosh," Ruth plays in the contemporary string band "The Mammals," and Rosie has been fiddling with a new trio "The Pearly Snaps", where she goes to college in Ithaca. Lyn plays in several local bands & repairs guitars and banjos. This show is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. Marc Black and BandDate: Saturday, May 17, 2008 The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild proudly presents Marc Black, Warren Bernhardt, Betty MacDonald and Mike Esposito, performing Wheel in a Wheel, an original, multi-media song cycle, at the Kleinert/James Arts Center on Saturday, May 17th at 8pm. The evening will feature songs, poetry and improvisations on guitar, piano, balafon, electric bass, bicycle wheel, violin, and found objects. Songs about coffee, cows, sex and Martha Stewart, among other subjects. Music influences from Shostakovich to Tim Hardin. Also featuring stunning bird photographs by Peter Schoenberger. Last Fall, Marc made international news (33,000 hits on YouTube) with a video of a live performance; his ritual of visiting a local coffee shop just recently inspired a tune that's been getting lots of attention across the Country, 'Ooh, I Love My Coffee'. And last year, Marc, with a big assist from Warren, completed a CD/film project with songs based on the poetry of a stroke survivor who woke up from a 21 day coma... After doctors had pulled life support! 'Stroke of Genius' includes performances by Art Garfunkel, John Sebastian, and Steve Gadd, among others. He performed these songs at last year's Sundance Film Festival. The long term friendship and creativity of Marc, Warren (recently with Simon & Garfunkel and Steely Dan), Betty (touring with David 'Fathead' Newman) and Mike (founder of the Blues Magoos) will certainly put an exclamation point on spring in Woodstock! This show is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. Byrdcliffe Shop Grand OpeningDates: Friday, May 23, 2008 After a dramatic renovation at 34 Tinker Street, The Byrdcliffe Shop is the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild’s newest commitment to the legacy of its 1903 Byrdcliffe Art Colony. The Byrdcliffe Shop is dedicated to the heritage of the Arts and Crafts Movement which sparked its founding. The grand opening takes place on Friday, May 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. All are welcome. Shop hours will be seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first 25 people will receive special discount coupons worth from $5.00 to $15.00 off to be used at the grand opening only. A raffle, with special prizes, including memberships, champagne and a Byrdcliffe Shop coupon worth $100 will be pulled at the conclusion of the opening festivities. The mission of The Byrdcliffe Shop is creating a multi-purpose retail space that is unique, artistic, exciting, educational and informative. Our goal is increasing awareness of Byrdcliffe's role in Woodstock's past and present and cross-market our various programs with high quality merchandise. The Byrdcliffe Shop will serve as a portal to our Byrdcliffe Art Colony, its history, contemporary programs and its role as a haven for today’s artists. A spectacular new entrance now draws the visitor into a retail space and, at the same, time into our Kleinert/James Arts Center (helping to extend its opening to 7 days a week), home to our concert and exhibitions. All visitors will enter through this entrance, even to our administrative offices. Byrdcliffe’s founder, Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead, was inspired by his Oxford professor of art and leading art critic of the day, John Ruskin, and his friend, the designer, William Morris, the leaders of the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Items relating to the ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement they inspired will be intrinsic to The Byrdcliffe Shop. Mission pottery and furniture based on the original Roycroft handcraft community designs will be featured. Other products relating to the Arts and Crafts Movement will include ceramics, paper products, wooden boxes, frames, small furnishings, lamps, mirrors, trays, glass, metal, jewelry and books. The Byrdcliffe Shop will also offer items for sale, from time to time, specific to the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild programs. Contemporary artists' works that is derivative of the "mission" style will also be displayed. This newly designed space is the first architectural change on Woodstock’s main shopping street in decades. Board President Frances Halsband, of the architectural firm of Kliment and Halsband, was instrumental in creating the original concept. Board member and architect, Les Walker, did the initial drawings. Funds for this project were generously donated by President Emeritus, Douglas C. James, who was responsible for the fabulous renovation of the Kleinert/James interior in 1995. The Byrdcliffe shop promises to attract new visitors to Woodstock, lending to the town’s economic development. The Byrdcliffe Shop will be online in the near future at www.byrdcliffe.org. Proceeds from the Byrdcliffe Shop will go toward furthering the mission of the nonprofit Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild. JuneTribute to Dewey RedmanLed by: John Menegon (bass) and featuring: Joel Frahm (saxophone), Frank Kimbrough (piano) & Tani Tabbal (drums)Date and Time: Saturday, June 7th at 8:00 pm. Doors at 7:30 pm. The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild proudly presents The Dewey Redman Tribute Project, on Saturday, June 7th at 8pm at the Kleinert/James Arts Center. The band will present the music of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman, whose rich and deep musical roots left an indelible impression on the musicians who played with him. His concerts always left the audience with the desire to hear more. Compositions such as DEWEY’S TUNE, JOIE DE VIVRE, WALLS BRIDGES, and many more are unique works of art that represent the roots of jazz extending to the experimental. The Dewey Redman Tribute Project’s goal is to bring this seldom heard music to the ears of audiences all over the world, enriching lives and keeping this great music alive.
Photo: Michael Hoefner JOHN MENEGON (bassist, composer) A resident of Upstate New York, John Menegon started his career as a jazz bassist in Montreal. Since moving to New York City to study Jazz at Long Island University on a full scholarship, John has performed/recorded with Dewey Redman, David “Fathead” Newman, Matt Wilson, Frank Kimbrough, John Hicks, Yoron Israel, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Burrell, Kenny Barron, Paul Bley, Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Orchestra, Nick Brignola, Jimmy Cobb, Al Foster, Slide Hampton, J.R. Monterose, Joe Lovano and many others. John is an integral member of the David “Fathead” Newman Quintet, and was a member of the DEWEY REDMAN Quartet for ten years up until his death in 2006. These jazz legends have taken John around the world, playing at jazz festivals in South Africa, Argentina, Turkey, Brazil, Europe and the U.S., and have been a major influence in his playing and compositions. John appears on Newman’s four most recent CDs on High Note Records, the most recent being a 2007 release entitled Life. John has recorded two CDs under his own name, SOUL ADVICE, and his debut CD Search Light, a selection of his original compositions and arrangements, featuring one of jazz's greatest legends, DEWEY REDMAN. Following is a quote of a review from this CD:
In 2005 John played at the Montreal Jazz Festival with Pat Metheny and DEWEY REDMAN, performing music from Metheny’s CD 80/81. John also played at the Festival with the DEWEY REDMAN Quartet featuring Matt Wilson on drums and Frank Kimbrough on piano, which was acclaimed by the critics as the best performance of the entire 2005 Festival. John is currently teaching bass, jazz workshops and jazz history at SUNY New Paltz and Williams College. JOEL FRAHM (saxophone) Born in Wisconsin, Joel studied classical piano and even played the bassoon before switching to the tenor saxophone around age 14. After graduating from The Manhattan School of Music, Joel was soon playing blues and jazz gigs in the City and meeting musicians like Matt Wilson and David Berkman, who would both become important collaborators. Joel was accepted into Betty Carter’s intensive Jazz Ahead workshop and began working with Maynard Ferguson, The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and Larry Goldings. After placing as a semi-finalist in the 1996 Thelonious Monk competition, Joel released his debut CD, Sorry, No Decaf (in homage to his day job at Starbucks when music gigs were tough to come by) on Palmetto Records in 1999, which was followed by The Navigator in 2000. Currently Joel tours the world with vocalist Jane Monheit. FRANK KIMBROUGH (pianist) Pianist/composer Frank Kimbrough has been active on the New York jazz scene for 25 years. He is currently a Palmetto recording artist. Frank was a founding member and composer-in-residence of the Jazz Composers Collective (1992 - 2005). During the Collective's existence he played in nearly twenty of its groups, and his relationship with the musicians associated with the JCC is ongoing. He is otherwise in demand as a sideman, evidenced by recent recordings and tours with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, trumpeter Dave Ballou, and with vocalists Kendra Shank, Katie Bull and Teri Roiger. He was a member of the legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman’s quartet from summer '05 until Redman's passing in Sept. '06. Frank’s playing has been recognized by his inclusion in the Downbeat Critics Poll each year since 2001, and his recordings are often included in jazz critics' year's-end top-ten lists. TANI TABBAL (drums, percussion) In Chicago, at age five, Tani Tabbal began playing and exploring drums, and by age fourteen he was a professional, playing and performing with Oscar Brown Jr. By the time age seventeen rolled around, Tani had already played with Phil Coran and was about to head out on tour with Sun Ra and his Arkestra. Tani Tabbal became known for his fluidity with odd and mixed meters. His passion for the avant-garde and in pushing the jazz medium along with blending world rhythms, brought him in professional contact with jazz legends Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Oliver Lake, Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, and Richard Davis among others. He also played with the Detroit avante garde group Griot Galaxy. Tabbal has recorded, performed and toured with Roscoe Mitchell, David Murray, James Carter, Geri Allen, and Casandra Wilson, to name a few. Tabbal is also in the percussion ensemble ‘Pieces of Time’ along with Andrew Cyrille, Famadou Don Moye, and Obo Addy. Along with being a jazz drummer, Tani also plays percussion instruments of West Africa (djembe and doundoun), North India (tablas), and North Africa (doumbec). This performance is made possible with public funds from the New York Council on the Arts, a State Agency. Byrdcliffe Afternoons at White PinesA Lecture by Nancy Green: "Woodstock in Summer: The Art Student's Life at Byrdcliffe" featuring Byrdcliffe painter, furniture designer and potter, Zulma Steele and metal worker, Bertha Thompson.Date and Time: Saturday, June 14th at 2:00 pm. Byrdcliffe Afternoons, held in the Byrdcliffe Theatre, began in the summer of 1938, long after the death of Ralph Radcliffe-Whitehead whose vision it was to found a spot dedicated to the life of the spirit and appreciation of things of beauty. Byrdcliffe Afternoons was the inspiration of Professor Martin Schutze, who lived in Byrdcliffe, and his colleague and friend, James T. Shotwell. They programs of conferences and discussions covering varied fields of intellectual and artistic interest. In 1939 the program was lengthened to cover the two months of July and August and dealt with literature and various forms of art. In 1940, the last summer of these fascinating afternoons, the series was devoted to the culture of Latin America. The lectures were published and today, one can still find copies of Byrdcliffe Afternoons on Ebay and in rare book shops.
Desk designed by Zulma Steele We hope that this new series of Byrdcliffe Afternoons held at the newly restored 1903 White Pines historic home of the Byrdcliffe founders, Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead and Jane Byrd McCall Whitehead, will generate new interest in and develop new friends for Byrdcliffe. Nancy Green is Senior Curator at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. She was the editor and a contributor of Byrdcliffe: An American Arts and Crafts Colony catalog and curator of the 2003-05 traveling Byrdcliffe Centennial Exhibition. Nancy has written and lectured extensively for the past 22 years. She has written on Byrdcliffe for several publications, including the British Decorative Arts Journal and Style 1900. Her book, Arthur Wesley Dow and American Arts and Crafts sparked her interest in Byrdcliffe. Byrdcliffe Afternoons is funded with a generous grant from the New York Council for the Humanities. Evelyn Thomas' Nuba Dance Theatre Summer Dance Extravaganza at Byrdcliffe Theater, Summer 2008“A Multi-Ethnic & Multi-Generational Approach to Dance"Dance Classes: Monday, June 30 through Saturday, July 26, 2008, at the
Byrdcliffe Theater on Upper Byrdcliffe Road
The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is pleased to present four weeks of exciting dance classes, for youth, families and adults, with Byrdcliffe Dancer-in-Residence Evelyn Thomas. Renowned choreographer, dancer and instructor, Evelyn Thomas, blends modern, jazz urban hip-hop, improvisation, praise dance and performance outcome into a series of classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced students.
Join us on Saturday, June 28 & Sunday, June 29 for a preview lecture, demonstration and performance with Evelyn, at the Byrdcliffe Theater, from 4:00 to 6:00pm. Evelyn Thomas was the original Tornado in the Broadway Production of the Wiz.
This performance is made possible with public funds from the New York Council on the Arts, a State Agency. JulyThe Woodstock Chimes Fund presents the 17th Annual 2008 Woodstock BeatA benefit concert for the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, featuring the Canadian ensemble NEXUS and special guest Peter SchickeleDate and Time: Saturday, July 5th at 8:00 pm. Doors at 7:30 pm. NEXUS will be performing at the Maverick Concert Hall in West Hurley, NY on Saturday Evening July 5th at 8 PM with special guest performer Peter Schickele. Many of the compositions from their newest recording, “WINGS”, will be presented with narration by Schickele. The music featured on the CD includes original arrangements by NEXUS members of popular songs written by the distinguished Japanese composer, Toru Takemitsu. In addition to the Takemitsu songs, NEXUS will be playing a newly discovered work of John Cage titled 'Dance Music for Elfrid Ide' (1940) as well as accompanying the Silent Movie Classic, "TEDDY AT THE THROTTLE" (A Mack Sennett Silent Film – 1916 with music arranged by NEXUS member William Cahn), staring Gloria Swanson, Wallace Beery, Bobby Vernon, and "Keystone Teddy" the dog. Peter Schickele will narrate this entertaining action film.
NEXUS at Bard College performing the US Premier of John Cage's "Dance Music for Elfrid Ide", September 27, 2007.
NEXUS has been credited with expanding the modern percussion ensemble's world of possibilities. Since the group's first all improvised concert in 1971, the Toronto-based percussion quintet has performed its music in solo recitals and with symphony orchestras worldwide. NEXUS has captivated audiences with an eclectic mix of music that includes contemporary percussion masterworks, novelty ragtime, world music, group improvisations and compositions by the members of NEXUS themselves. Their virtuosity and innovative programming have inspired compositions from some of the greatest composers of our time. Peter Schickele is widely known for his “discoveries” and performances of the music of PDQ Bach as well as being a prolific composer of his “own”. The highly regarded Schickele Mix, distributed by Public Radio International, won the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award in 1993 and also received the Gold Award for Programming Excellence from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that same year. Quick NEXUS facts:
A new documentary film, “Inside Time“ featuring an original score by NEXUS, receives a 2008 Yorkton Golden Sheaf award for best social/political documentary. The 30-minute documentary film, “Inside Time,” was produced in 2007 for the National Film Board of Canada. The story is centered on Stephen Reid, a celebrity bank robber, writer and philosopher, who contemplates his life and times from the inside of an 18-year prison term. His acute observations and introspection are captured in a beautifully paced film by Jason Young with recurring images of sea and shore, spider webs, carnival rides, woodlands, and Reid himself, whose experiences have also enabled him to find a degree of wisdom and freedom in his circumstance. Renowned for its improvisational skills, NEXUS recorded the film’s musical score spontaneously in a single session at the Toronto studios of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. No strangers to film music; in 1975 NEXUS created the acclaimed score for the feature-length film, “The Man Who Skied Down Everest” which received an Academy Award for best documentary film. NEXUS has thrilled audiences worldwide with its live performances of silent movie accompaniments including “Teddy at the Throttle”, a comedy starring Gloria Swanson and Teddy the Dog (Mack Sennett, 1916), and “A Page of Madness” the classic Japanese experimental drama with an unsettling view of life in an insane asylum (Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1926). The Toronto-based ensemble regularly performs in solo recitals, at music festivals and with symphony orchestras worldwide, captivating audiences with an eclectic mix of music that includes contemporary percussion masterworks, novelty ragtime, world music, group improvisations and compositions by the members of NEXUS themselves. The group’s virtuosity and innovative programming have inspired original works for percussion from some of the greatest composers of our time. This special event is made possible with generous sponsorship from The Woodstock Chimes Fund, Markertek and Precision Flow Technologies. Byrdcliffe Afternoons at White PinesA Lecture by Tom Wolf on "Byrdcliffe Photographer: Eva Watson-Schutze"Date and Time: Saturday, July 12th at 2:00 pm. Byrdcliffe Afternoons, held in the Byrdcliffe Theatre, began in the summer of 1938, long after the death of Ralph Radcliffe-Whitehead whose vision it was to found a spot dedicated to the life of the spirit and appreciation of things of beauty. Byrdcliffe Afternoons was the inspiration of Professor Martin Schutze, who lived in Byrdcliffe, and his colleague and friend, James T. Shotwell. They programs of conferences and discussions covering varied fields of intellectual and artistic interest. In 1939 the program was lengthened to cover the two months of July and August and dealt with literature and various forms of art. In 1940, the last summer of these fascinating afternoons, the series was devoted to the culture of Latin America. The lectures were published and today, one can still find copies of Byrdcliffe Afternoons on Ebay and in rare book shops. We hope that this new series of Byrdcliffe Afternoons held at the newly restored 1903 White Pines historic home of the Byrdcliffe founders, Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead and Jane Byrd McCall Whitehead, will generate new interest in and develop new friends for Byrdcliffe.
Photo of Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead by Eva Watson-Schutze Tom Wolf is currently Art History Professor at Bard College at Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. He was also a contributor to Byrdcliffe: An American Arts and Crafts Colony and has worked extensively on Woodstock artists for the past 20 years. Tom Wolf has written widely about 20th-century American art, including studies of the arts colony in Woodstock, New York, and the Arts and Crafts Movement in the United States. Byrdcliffe Afternoons is funded with a generous grant from the New York Council for the Humanities. AugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberThe Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, established in 1939, is a multi-arts membership organization serving the Mid-Hudson Valley. Our Kleinert/James Arts Center hosts and presents local and national performing, visual, and literary artists. The Guild offers a variety of classes and is steward of the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony founded in 1903, now a home to an international artist-in-residence program and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
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