Showing posts with label Karen Stackpole. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karen Stackpole. Show all posts
November 18, 2020
June 24, 2013
Garden of Memory 2013
Garden of Memory program
photo by Styrous©
Last Friday, June 21, I enjoyed a celebration of the summer solstice by attending the Garden of Memory performances at the Chapel of the Chimes crematory and columbarium in Oakland, CA. I know, I hear you saying, "Say, WHAT?!" Well, that's where the event was held and it couldn't have been in a better location.
I love firsts. They say there's a first time for everything and it was two firsts for me. I had never been to the Chapel of the Chimes and I had never attended any of the Garden of Memory performances. Both are incredible!
First the venue. The Chapel of the Chimes is one of the most beautiful and unusual buildings I have every been in. Designed by architect, Julia Morgan, and built in 1928, the Moorish and Gothic-inspired interior is a wonder to behold. It's footprint appears small but the architecture, details and lighting are extraordinary. The spaces range from tiny to huge laid out in a dizzying maze of rooms, corridors, nooks and crannies filled with fountains, statuary, mosaics and stonework. Photos of the Chapel can be seen here.
What was the event? Presentations of new and experimental music and sound constructions by San Francisco Bay Area musician and sound artists. This performance was unusual in that it was not watched/listened to in the traditional theatrical setting. There was absolutely no seating; instead the audience wandered throughout the building to the various locations where the artists were performing. There were over a hundred of them. There was no concept of a start or ending with some of them and they could be listened to for as long as one wished. When ready, one could wander on to the next performer. Because of the confusing maze of the architecture, turning a corner resulted in surprising encounters.
What was the event? Presentations of new and experimental music and sound constructions by San Francisco Bay Area musician and sound artists. This performance was unusual in that it was not watched/listened to in the traditional theatrical setting. There was absolutely no seating; instead the audience wandered throughout the building to the various locations where the artists were performing. There were over a hundred of them. There was no concept of a start or ending with some of them and they could be listened to for as long as one wished. When ready, one could wander on to the next performer. Because of the confusing maze of the architecture, turning a corner resulted in surprising encounters.
(click on any image to see slideshow)
program site map
photo by Styrous©
The first performers the attendees encountered were Jaroba and Keith Cary who did their magic in front of the Chapel.
Jaroba
photo by Styrous©
Keith Cary
photo by Styrous©
Katrina Wreede inside the main entrance
photo by Styrous©
Xu Fengxia (on the right)
photos by Styrous©
My only regret of the evening was that I was not able to hear and photograph all of the artists and their incredible performances. The reason, I spent too much time at many of the performances and I kept getting lost and arrived too late to see many at the location they were performing because it was too jammed to get into by the time I got there. I guess I'll have to go again next year but I don't think that will really be a problem. I can hardly wait!
Performers I missed hearing or photographing:
• Living Earth Show
• Miya Masaoka and Larry Ochs
• Edward Schocker
• Jason Victor Serinus
• Kent Sparling
• Benjamin Tinker
• Wild Rumpus New Music Collective
• William Winant Percussion Group
• Theresa Wong
• Jason Victor Serinus
• Kent Sparling
• Benjamin Tinker
• Wild Rumpus New Music Collective
• William Winant Percussion Group
• Theresa Wong
Performer notes with a whole lot of interesting information about them can be found on the Garden of Memory website.
The event was sponsored by New Music Bay Area which was founded in 1994 to celebrate
the world of new music in the Bay Area. Its mission is to
support and extend the legacy of the Bay Area new music community and
its traditions by fostering new works and projects.
Since 1996 New Music Bay Area has hosted The Garden of Memory
walk-through concert every June 21st from 5pm-9pm at The Chapel of the
Chimes.
Chapel of the
Chimes
4499 Piedmont Ave.
Oakland, CA.
510-400-7498
New Music Bay Area is also a supporter of
the monthly L@TE concerts at the Berkeley Art Museum which are curated by Sarah Cahill BAM/PFA L@TE.
Links to L@TE events at the Berkeley Art Museum (BAM) that have been featured on the Styrous Viewfinder:
~
~
February 15, 2013
Ghost In the House
Ghost In the House CD
I have loved experimental music since I discovered it in college in the late 1950's. From the French experimental musique concrète by Pierre Henry, of the 1940's up to the early experimental ambient work in the late 1970's, I have loved it all. From the deliciously tranquil work of Brian Eno to the make-your-teeth-itch sounds (or none-sounds) of John Cage (see: Happy Birthday, John Cage), acoustic and electronic, I have loved it all. Olivier Messiaen, Jean Barraqué, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Edgard Varèse, Iannis Xenakis, Michel Philippot, and Arthur Honegger, I have loved them all.
(click on any image to see larger size)
Circa 1930
photographer unknown
Iannis Xenakis in his studio in Paris, c. 1970
photo by Michèle Daniel
October 1994 in the Studio for Electronic Music
of WDR Cologne,
during production of the Electronic Music
from FRIDAY from LIGHT.
Date: October 1994
photo by Kathinka Pasveer
Date: October 1994
photo by Kathinka Pasveer
The experiments in 1942 when the French composer and theoretician Pierre Schaeffer began his exploration of radiophony and he joined Jacques Copeau and his pupils in the foundation of the Studio d'Essai de la Radiodiffusion Nationale are marvels to experience.
Pierre Schaeffer working with the phonogene in his studio
circa 1948
photo by Serge Lido
About the same time, the Egyptian composer Halim El-Dabh, then a student in Cairo, was independently experimenting with tape music.
Halim El-Dabh
2009
2009
photo by James Vaughn
These and many other experiments in music have built a rich body of work in the field. Last night I had the pleasure of experiencing this wonderful tradition being kept alive in a dynamic performance at the Berkeley Arts Center on University Avenue in, where else, Berkeley.
photo by Styrous®
The music was performed by the experimental music group, Ghost In The House. The group was conceived by filmmaker & musician David Michalak. The first part of the program was, Dreams & Dance in D minor ~ an eerie dream narrative by The Dreamer accompanied by dance and set to otherworldly music described as a soundtrack for the subconscious.
Ghost In The House.
photo by Styrous®
The tale about a giant head was read by Dean Santomieri (The Dreamer) who wrote the main part of the story, with the beginning and ending text written by David Michalak. It is a strange and creepy tale with the music/sound appropriately matched by Ghost in the House. The reading and the soundtrack combined so well you could almost smell the rotting, putrid head there in the performance space. A brilliant piece of theater!!
The Dreamer (Dean Santomieri)
photo by Styrous®
As The Dreamer read, the dance was performed behind a screen by internationally renown Butoh dancer, Kinji Hayashi.
photo by Styrous®
photo by Styrous®
The audience sat enthralled by the performance until the intermission when we were able to talk to the performers during the break. I was introduced to Kinji by Dean at that time.
During the second half of the program, Kinji danced practically in the faces of the audience. It was quite an experience.
photo by Styrous®
photo by Styrous®
I bumped into Pamela Z, an extraordinary sound/performance artist who has been doing her stuff in the bay area for over 30 years. We hadn't seen each other for years and it was good to touch base with her again. She told me she was performing with the Kronos Quartet at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on February 21 and 22, a week from now. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
photo by Styrous®
The Ghost in the House performers:
Polly Moller: bass flute
Karen Stackpole: percussion & gongs
John Ingle: soprano & alto saxophone
David Michalak: lap steel
Tom Nunn: inventions,
Dean Santomieri: narration & resonator guitar
Richard Waters: waterphone
Karen Stackpole: percussion & gongs
John Ingle: soprano & alto saxophone
David Michalak: lap steel
Tom Nunn: inventions,
Dean Santomieri: narration & resonator guitar
Richard Waters: waterphone
Dean Santomieri, narration & resonator guitar
photo by Styrous®
Polly Moller, bass flute
photo by Styrous®
John Ingle, soprano & alto saxophone
photo by Styrous®
Karen Stackpole, percussion & gongs
photo by Styrous®
Tom Nunn, inventions
photo by Styrous®
Performances by Dean Santomieri can be seen on YouTube.
The Boy Beneath the Sea by Dean Santomieri is available on Amazon.
Music by Polly Moller is available on cdbaby.
Music by Karen Stackpole can be heard on YouTube.
Music by Tom Nunn is available on iTunes.
Music by Richard Waters can be heard on YouTube.
It was an evening of anticipated delights and wonderful surprises. My thanks to Ghost In the House for the fantastic event.
What a delightful Valentine!
Styrous® ~ Feb 14, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)