Perhaps Gilead is an all Iowa Chamber Music Project with Great Traction
Click on this photo of Red Cedar Chamber Music musicians and composer of Perhaps Gilead to read Gazette article by Diana Nollen
Get tickets:
May 21st & May 22nd Setting Sun to Rising Moon tickets available in advance or at the door for both concerts.
Tickets in advance: Mail check by Thursday May 19th to –
Red Cedar Chamber Music
PO Box 154
Marion, IA 52302
Tickets will be held for you at the door.
Tickets at the door: Show up at the concert site 45 minutes prior to the performance.
Tickets price:
- Cedar Rapids: 8 p.m. May 21, 2011, First Presbyterian Church, 310 Fifth St. SE; $18 at the door, $15 in advance; $10 ages 30 and under; (319) 377-8028
- Iowa City: 2 p.m. May 22, 2011, St. Raphael Orthodox Church, 722 E. College St.; followed by gala reception at the Musser-Dixon Victorian home, 715 E. College St.; $35 in advance or at the door (319) 377-8028
- Information: www.redcedar.org or (319) 377-8028
This is it! My first blog about Red Cedar Chamber Music and oh my is this an exciting time!
We are just 11 days away from the official premiere weekend of Perhaps Gilead, a terrific new composition by Marion, Iowa native and internationally renowned composer Harvey Sollberger.
Perhaps Gilead is inspired by the companion novels Home and Gilead written by Pulitzer Prize-winning Iowa novelist Marilynne Robinson. Red Cedar Chamber Music commissioned Perhaps Gilead and will be performing it in an upcoming series of concerts called Setting Sun to Rising Moon, culminating with official premiere concerts at First Presbyterian Church at 310 5th St. SE in Cedar Rapids at 8 p.m. on Saturday May 21, 2011 and at St. Raphael Orthodox Church at 722 E. College St. in Iowa City at 2 p.m. on Sunday May 22, 2011.
Order tickets:
Media Coverage: I will give you some of the highlights of this amazing all-Iowa project here, but check out this terrific media coverage to get the full flavor of the project
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Click photo of Diana Nollen to read her great, in-depth article that beautifully describes the Perhaps Gilead project and lists all the performances! (Cedar Rapids Gazette April 10, 2011)
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Click on Harvey Sollberger's photo to hear Iowa Public Radio's story of Perhaps Gilead for All Things Considered and Morning Edition by John Pemble
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Click on Harvey Sollberger's photo to hear an interview with rehearsal out takes by videographer John Richard
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Click on musician's photo to see a video of Perhaps Gilead performed at Grinnell College featuring a section from the third movement Fantasy-Potpourri: Sunday Afternoon Music at Reverend Boughton's (4-22-11)
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Click on photo to hear KCCK Setting Sun to Rising Moon Interview on 5-12-11 by George Dorman
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Click photo of Laird Addis to read his article – Iowan Sollberger composes 'Perhaps Gilead', which appeared in the Iowa City Press Citizen on 5-1-11
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Click photo of Carey J. Hahn to read his article – Marion composer to bring to life Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which appeared in the Marion Times on 3-21-11
So, what makes this project so special and an all-Iowa treat?
Our Iowa composer:
• Harvey became a leading exponent of contemporary composition and expanded instrumental techniques on the flute while at Columbia University where he co-founded (with Charles Wuorinen) the Group for Contemporary Music in New York at Columbia University in 1962 and directed that ensemble for 27 years.
• He was born in Cedar Rapids but was raised and attended elementary through high school in Marion and then attended the University of Iowa.
• He has had numerous major commissions but is recently retired from University of CA San Diego.
• He now lives in Strawberry Point, Iowa and is Red Cedar Chamber Music’s composer in residence.
The Iowa Inspiration of Perhaps Gilead : Red Cedar Chamber Music commissioned Harvey Sollberger to write a 15 minute work for flute, guitar and string quartet and he became so immersed in the project he wrote us a 30 minute work .
• Harvey became engrossed with the Iowa-based novels Home & Gilead by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Marilynne Robinson, who teaches at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop
• His new musical work interprets the philosophical and emotional content of these novels in soundscape.
• Harvey believes Perhaps Gilead is the best piece he has created in over 50 years of composing
The Iowa Author and Novels that Inspired Perhaps Gilead :
Home & Gilead are companion novels by a renowned Iowa author Marilynne Robinson about her fictional small town of Gilead, Iowa. Set in the 1950s, Home & Gilead deal with important social & philosophical issues ie. slavery/integration as seen through the eyes of two ministers in the town who are lifelong friends
The Iowa Performers :
All 6 performers of Perhaps Gilead are well-known Iowa musicians
- Carey Bostian is principal cellist with Orchestra Iowa
- Lisa Ponton is principal violist with Orchestra Iowa
- Miera Kim is associate principal second violin with Orchestra Iowa
- Violinist Nancy McFarland Gaub is co-Artisitic Director of the critically acclaimed Roycroft Chamber Music Festival and a Lecturer in Music at Grinnell College
- Flutist Jan Boland & guitarist John Dowdall are founding directors of Red Cedar Chamber Music
The Iowa Sponsorship and Collaboration :
- The Iowa Arts Council is proudly sponsoring the premiere performance and many of the pre-premiere events.
- Artist sponsorship of Carey Bostian is provided by Mary Lou Pazour.
- The Iowa City premiere on May 22nd is presented in collaboration with the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature
Oh, and once the premiere concerts are completed, we get a one – week break and then we record Perhaps Gilead, which will be released on our 10th Fleur de Son Classics compact disc.
But that is the subject of another blog.
Stay tuned!!
John Dowdall
Artistic Director
