Saturday, March 21, 3:00 pm, Sweeney Hall, Smith College
“A refreshing corrective to classical music’s rigid hierarchies” — WBUR
“Something about it feels perpetually fresh with every performance.” — The Boston Globe
The Program:
Shelley Washington (b. 1991) SAY (2016)
Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Appalachian Spring – Suite for 13 Instruments (1970)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 (1802-1808)
arranged for String Sextet by Michael Gotthard Fischer (1773-1829) in 1811
A Far Cry is known for its innovative and compelling programs, stellar communication, and a democratic process that is the group’s north star. A Far Cry was founded in 2007 on the belief that every voice deserves to be heard; so instead of one artistic director, the collective of musicians (“Criers”) curate and submit program ideas inspired by individual curiosities, and what is happening in the world at large. The result is ensemble playing at its most intimate, representing a diverse mix of music and collaborators. Originally a self-conducted ensemble of 18 strings, for their VCC program, they will also bring wind players.
The March 21st program is no exception to AFC’s insistence on creative programming. The concert opens with “SAY,” Shelley Washington’s searing response to being of mixed race in contemporary America. We will then hear Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring (1944) in its original chamber scoring. This composition has become an American icon, bringing together as it did many important mid-century artistic impulses – Martha Graham’s choreography, Isamu Noguchi’s stage designs and Copland’s music — serenely modern and nostalgic in its use of the “Simple Gifts” Shaker hymn. After intermission comes a VCC first – an 1811 string sextet arrangement of Beethoven’s 6th symphony, “Pastoral,” re-expanded for the full string orchestra. (Read more about A Far Cry’s “Pastoral” project!)
(Program subject to change.)