The widely acclaimed Southern Oregon University Percussion Ensembles, under the direction of Dr. Terry Longshore, will present “Foreign Objects” on Tuesday, March 2, at 8:00 PM in the Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall.
The SOU Percussion Ensemble has been praised throughout the northwest for its performances of contemporary percussion music that entertains, challenges, and excites listeners of all ages. Composer William Kraft (former Los Angeles Philharmonic Composer-in-Residence, Associate Conductor, and Principal Timpanist) said of the ensemble, "I have never – repeat, never – been so pleased with performances of my works."
The concert will also feature the debut of ensemble compás, the newly formed resident percussion quartet at SOU. In Spanish flamenco, compás means the rhythmic cycle of a given musical form, but also refers to a musician’s “feel”. ensemble compás is comprised of the top undergraduate percussion students at SOU who audition to actively perform a variety of new music, classic percussion chamber music, and world music. The ensemble is dedicated to the creation of new music for percussion quartet and collaborations with other instruments. ensemble compás commissioned and will premiere Chris Burton Jácome’s new work for solo flamenco guitar and marimba quartet, “la alma del árbol, la resonancia de una rama” (“the soul of the tree, the resonance of a branch”) in May, 2010.
Ensemble compás will perform two works, Nigel Westlake’s “Omphalo Centric Lecture” for marimba quartet, and Steve Reich’s “Music for Pieces of Wood.” In Westlake’s words, “The title comes from a painting by Paul Klee - the direct & centered simplicity of which was an inspiration to me during the writing of this piece. The piece also owes much to African Balofon (or xylophone) music, with its persistant ostinati, cross - rhythms & variations on simple melodic fragments. Like African music it seeks to celebrate life through rhythm, energy & movement.” Reich’s work grew out of his desire to make music with the simplest possible instruments. It is performed by five percussionists with five tuned pairs of claves, cylindrical pieces of hardwood used in Cuban music, among other Latin genres.
Also featured will be two classic works for percussion: Henry Cowell’s “Pulse” and Lou Harrison’s “Simfony #13”. Cowell’s work is interestingly scored for percussion quintet, with a sixth performer who moves around between the other performers’ setups and serves as a sort of “utility player”, dampening others’ instruments and sometimes playing from their setups. Harrison’s “Simfony”, a quartet, was written for John and Xenia Cage and features Harrison’s trademark orchestration for families of instruments grouped by timbre and use of canons in the structure. The ensemble will also perform two arrangements of Zimbabwean marimba and mbira music.
The program will close with the entire ensemble performing John Bergamo’s “Foreign Objects”, a Zappa-esque romp that alternates between meters of 7 and 2 and features an arsenal of electronic and acoustic keyboard instruments overlaying a rock & roll rhythm section of bass, drums, and junk percussion.
Tickets for this performance are $5 for general admission and free for students. Tickets and season passes may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit Southern Oregon University’s Music Department website at http://www.sou.edu/music
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Join Dúo Flamenco for our monthly First Friday Flamenco at the Standing Stone Brewing Co. in Ashland - Friday, March 5, 8:30-10:30 PM.
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The Sol Flamenco Dance Company will perform on Saturday, March 6th at 8:00 p.m. at the SOU Music Recital Hall in Ashland. The show, entitled "Fiesta Flamenca", showcases the gipsy style of flamenco dance and music from Andalucia in the south of Spain. The program will include both traditional and contemporary flamenco dances, songs and guitar solos. To complete the Spanish theme, Elements Tapas Bar and Lounge of Medford will sell Spanish appetizers and wine before the concert at 7:00 p.m. and during intermission.
Sol Flamenco is a Santa Rosa-based dance troupe dedicated to the fiery art of flamenco. The dancers are Joelle Gonçalves and Liz Bortolotto. They will be joined by Spanish classical and flamenco guitarist Mark Taylor, as well as local percussionist Terry Longshore, who is Director of Percussion Studies at SOU. Sol Flamenco and Mark Taylor have been working together for many years, and it shows in the dancer’s precision footwork, the guitarist’s bold accompaniment and the company’s strong stage presence. Sol Flamenco has been delighting its audiences with sold out performances throughout California for years.
L. Pierce Carson of The Napa Valley Register called Mark Taylor "The Bay Area’s Best flamenco guitarist" and stated, "Mark Taylor amazed an attentive crowd of more than 300 with his technical skills, lightning-fast fingerings and perfect tone. Taylor has a feel for the music’s innate sensuality." With a high quality of music and the powerful dancing of Sol Flamenco, "Fiesta Flamenca" is an evening not to be missed!
Sol Flamenco and Mark Taylor will also teach beginning workshops on flamenco dance and guitar. Call 482-2826 for more information.
The show is presented by the Jefferson Classical Guitar Society and the Southern Oregon University Department of Performing Arts. Tickets for this performance are $15 for general admission and FREE for students. Tickets may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the SOU Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit SOU's Music Department website at http://www.sou.edu/music or the JCGS website at http://JeffersonGuitar.org.
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