MEriDIANS
FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012 - 8PM
THE CULTCH - 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver
Ticket Prices: $20 (adults) / $10 (student/senior/artist)
For tickets call The Cultch box office 604.251.1363
Purchase online at http://tickets.thecultch.com
Or in person at 1895 Venables Street.
To close their 10th Anniversary season, Redshift Music Society presents MEriDIANS, a very unique concert at the Cultch featuring World premieres by two Vancouver composers who are blurring the lines between theatre, contemporary classical and the indie rock/pop world.
Benton Roark and Mark Haney both represent a new breed of composer; those who have cut their teeth as much in the conservatories and orchestras of the classical world as they have in the bars and clubs of the indie rock/pop world. Blending the tonal and rhythmic languages of many musical genres, and combining it all with a sense of theatricality, both Roark and Haney are creating music that is new, vibrant and perhaps most importantly, music that invites the listener in.
MEriDIANS also serves to mark two special events: The debut of The MARS Quartet, and the passing of the co-Artistic Directorship of Redshift from Mark McGregor to Benton Roark.
The MARS Quartet is a new ensemble dedicated to performing material that creates links and crosses boundaries between music, theatre and other performance. The MARS Quartet features four of Vancouver’s finest interpreters of new music, Mark McGregor (flute), Marcus Takizawa (viola), Mark Haney (double bass) and Martin Fisk (percussion).
Joining them for MEriDIANS are Kathleen Allan (soprano), Adrian Verdejo (guitar) and Adrienne Wong (narration).
3339 by Mark Haney
The summer of 1980: A 5 year old boy in Espanola, Ontario follows the epic journey of a young man from British Columbia who would run 3339 miles in 143 days; across 3 time zones, 6 provinces and 10 stages of the Hero’s Journey
3339 incorporates resonant melodies, pulsing ostinati, numerically-derived structures and materials, looping figures and motifs, enveloping soundscapes, field recordings and a storyteller (Neworld Theatre’s Adrienne Wong) to re-tell the most mythic of all Canadian tales: The story of Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. This iteration of Canada’s most famous story focuses on the epic physical accomplishment of one young man through hard facts and numbers, and bypasses the emotional beats usually assigned to this tale. Mark kept a blog during the writing of this work (including his journeys to Newfoundland and northern Ontario) which can be found here.
Written as a response to his acclaimed album “Aim for the Roses” (“A daring aim, well jumped.”- The Globe and Mail, “One of the most original releases this year”- The Vancouver Province, “The perfect balance between utterly amazing and completely fucking ridiculous”-The Georgia Straight), 3339 is Mark Haney’s revisitation of the geography of his childhood, and the legend who ran through it.
Songs from the Rainshadow’s Edge by Benton Roark
Songs from the Rainshadow’s Edge is a mythopoetic journey across the threshold of debilitating psychological trauma and back again. Touching on similar themes but with hindsight perspective, this haunting song-cycle serves in many ways as an epilogue to Benton’s recent, lauded record, The Return of the Lonesome Coyote Patchwork Pulpit, and
Sundry Other Tales from the Rainbow’s End.
Comprising five works for soprano, chamber ensemble, and electroacoustics, Songs from the Rainshadow’s Edge features a lush score full of neo-impressionistic harmonies, jazz rhythms, and detuned lullabies. It tells a story about losing one’s Self, and about taking the
path inward, into the void, to recover it.
The REDSHIFT MUSIC SOCIETY was founded in 2001 in Vancouver , with a focus on bringing the music of contemporary Canadian composers to the general public through unique musical events, mostly in public venues.
The Redshift Music Society is a registered non-profit organization, and is able to present many of its events thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, the City of Vancouver, VANOC, the Spirit of B.C. Arts Fund, the BC Gaming Commission, the Canadian Music Centre, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Vancouver Public Library, Christ Church Cathedral, and The SOCAN Foundation.
Mark Haney - Composer/Double Bassist
As a composer, Mark Haney has written work for several short films (including ‘Plane’ by Gemini Award-winner Kara Blake), youth orchestras, recording projects and theatre pieces. Most recently he wrote music for a video of Olivia Fermi's visit to CERN as part of the Neutron Trail Project.
As a double bassist, Mark recently performed in The Idiot at this year’s PuSH Festival. Mark has performed with the VSO, The Vancouver Playhouse, Bard on the Beach, as well as many other orchestras, theatres companies, new music ensembles and a host of Vancouver’s finest singer/songwriters.
For his next composition project, Mark is collaborating on a musical setting of the graphic novel ‘George Sprott’ by the renowned Canadian cartoonist Seth, who has long been an influence/idol for Mr. Haney.
T. Benton Roark - Composer/Poet
After studies at Oberlin Conservatory and three years working in a record store in New York City, Benton Roark moved west to pursue further studies in composition and a career as a multi-disciplinary artist. Since then he has had work commissioned and performed throughout North America and Europe by a variety of ensembles, artists, and organizations, including the Bozzini Quartet, the Aventa Ensemble, Théatre Re, the Erasmus Foundation, and Mark Takeshi McGregor, as well as his own critically acclaimed rock outfit, Rollaway. His music has been described as “trippy” (The Vancouver Observer), “explosive” (The Victoria Martlet) “floor-stomping” (The Georgia Straight), and “not an album you can put on as background music” (Maverick Magazine).
As a writer, Benton counts no fewer than fifty lyrics to his credit, as well as multiple stage works including work produced at the Vancouver International Song Institute’s Theatre of Art Song. Mr. Roark has acted as producer in both the recording context (with four independent records of original work behind him), as well as in the theatrical and operatic realms. Among recent highlights was the premiere of the Japanese noh-influenced chamber opera Shadow Catch at the Firehall Arts Centre, which he produced and co-composed as part of the City of Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary Celebration.
Mr. Roark recently oversaw a successful Sonic Boom New Music Festival as President of the Pro Musica Society of Vancouver.
For tickets call The Cultch box office 604.251.1363
Purchase online at http://tickets.thecultch.com
Or in person at 1895 Venables Street.
