The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble

by Shawn Werner

Director | Performing Arts Committee

The 2011-2012 Concert Series season starts with The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble on September 30. Comprised by members of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra, these performers grace our stage with a concert of Brahms G Major Sextet, Shostakovich's Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet, and Mendelssohn's beloved and famed E-flat Major Octet.

Eight years after the St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra was established, the chamber ensemble was created in 1967 from principal musicians of the orchestra. The intent was to have a larger ensemble play larger chamber works instead of having a traditional quartet with featured performers. Ever since, the ensemble has toured all around the world playing works ranging from classical compositions to 20th century music. The current members are Andrew Watkinson, Harvey de Souza, Jennifer Godson, Martin Burgess, Robert Smissen, Duncan Ferguson, Stephen Orton, and John Heley, all hailing from London, England.

These superb performers bring their expertise to offer a full orchestra-sounding program for an intimate Friday evening. The New York Times proclaims, "their gestures are flowing and demonstrative, and they brought forth a performance with the same shapeliness and zest that characterized the concertos. The orchestra produced a lovely sound, section for section, and often played with the cohesiveness of a chamber ensemble". I can't wait to see them perform!

The Brahms G Major Sextet's first ever premiere was actually on US soil, in Boston in 1866. It was written for a woman he was infatuated with at the time, Agathe von Siebold. In the first movement, bars 162-168, the notes a-g-a-d-h-e are played. Of course, in German music notation, 'h' is actually the note 'b'. Personally, I'm most excited about this piece, perhaps because Brahms is my music idol.

The Mendelssohn Octet is an impressive piece of music, composed in 1825, when Mendelssohn was only 16 years old! It was around this time that he became a serious musician and composer (he had already composed his first symphony by this time). Lush harmonies and deep melodies intertwine between registers, taking on different forms. The last movement, Presto, is certainly the most exhilarating one. Mendelssohn had a way of composing pieces that could fit well with large ensembles and orchestras and with a more intimate setup.He  indicated in the score that his Octet was to be played "by all the instruments in symphonic orchestral style. Pianos and fortes must be strictly observed and more strongly emphasized than is usual in pieces of this character." Mendelssohn knew what he wanted so, I suggest that you listen to this piece in that manner. If you can imagine this performance being played by a full orchestra, then the piece is being played correctly. If not, then the chamber ensemble isn't doing something right. Fortunately, the A.S.M.F.C.E will be performing this piece, so I assure you will not be disappointed.

I implore you to attend this Friday night of splendid music that expands over 100 years.

Opening Night for 'Color by Numbers'

by Ted Harks
Campus Arts Ticketing System/Data Manager

Yes, our theater opened on this night in history!

(The original photo lives in the Wisconsin Union set
of the UW Digital Collections.)

Hello, everyone. My name is Ted Harks and I work for the Wisconsin Union Theater. I manage the Campus Arts Ticketing system hardware and its collected data. I also serve on the Wisconsin Union Theater's marketing team where I am called upon to compile data relevant to our tasks at hand, and come up with ways to apply what we learn to what we are trying to achieve.

For some people (maybe even you?), just thinking about dry little facts, statistics, numbers, or lists induces yawns or sudden impulses to take naps. I can relate. I work with data every day and my eyes glaze over sometimes, too. But since I am "the data guy," we on the marketing team thought it might be fun if I regularly featured some historical and current data we find valuable and interesting for you, our readers. And my creative side couldn't be more thrilled to give this a shot.

Welcome to the debut of Color by Numbers (seen above). The subject matter of the photo felt appropriate this first feature. I hope you like what I've done with the place.

Color by Numbers will tell some of Our Story using data in playful ways.

Why Color by Numbers? I have two main goals for this feature. One: Tell some of Our Story with data samples (which often come clothed in the garb of numbers.) Two: Keep most of you awake (so I will strive to present the data du jour in colorful ways.)

What might you expect to find here in the months to come? Some of that will depend on what I and/or our team can dream up. Some may be influenced by input or suggestions from you. Please leave your comments or ideas.

One thing I have always adored about working in theater is that it is always changing, both literally on stage, as shows go up and come down, and offstage as we prepare for and wrap up each event. We are always in a state of transformation. Color by Numbers will inevitably evolve over time, too. So please stay tuned (and, hopefully, awake) for future features.

Got Kids? Bring them to our Family Savnigs Events for Cheap!

Erin Bannen
Marketing Intern

When I was little I would walk out of movie theaters feeling unstoppable. My dad would throw me up on his shoulders and I felt like, if I wanted to, I could be an Irish dancer, a jazz singer, and (of course) a mermaid. I think this is a kid thing. As I got older it's been harder to get that feeling back again, that joyous, playful, powerful buzzing around your ribs that informs you quite clearly that life is a bursting adventure, and it's waiting for you.

We here at the Wisconsin Union Theater feel an intense desire to bring theater to the youth in the Madison Community. Our Family Savings Event deals are an attempt to recognize and respect how greatly theater can impact young people. We know how they can be inspired, and we want them to be.

For some of our events this coming season, tickets for up to two kids 6-18 are only $14 with the purchase of one adult ticket. Below are just a few of the events tagged for Family Savings; for more please see our order form.

Is your child a budding violinist? Be inspired by the fabulous Caroline Goulding! A 19-year-old Grammy-nominee, Goulding has already performed as a soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic and the Aspen Concert Orchestra.

Have a drummer in the family? Does your family love dancing? Comedy? Don't miss Yamato, Drummers of Japan! Yamato has played to more than a million people, giving over 1,000 performances all over the world. It continues to travel with several dozen large and small drums (including an O-daiko made from a huge tree over 400 years old), displaying the instruments’ versatility and instinctive appeal.

Pilobolus and Savion Glover are great for dancers and non-dancers alike! Pilobolus is a dance theater group that has recently found a dance partner in popular band OK Go!  The New York Times review of the show says the dancers were "Dressed in light-blue unitards, the dancers play atop a clear sheet of plexiglass, their antics captured by camera and projected onto a screen so that the audience watches the execution of a low-tech music video."

Also don't miss Savion Glover, the King of Tap, featured below at the White house with Bill Clinton!

Have Something to Say About the Memorial Union Renovations?

Erin Bannen
Marketing Intern

The Memorial Union is a beloved Madison terasure. All you have to do is look at the Today in the Union to tell how many people this space serves. Apart from world-class theatrical performances in the Wisconsin Union Theater, the Union is a home to everything from yoga classes, sailing lessons, support groups, free access to pottery wheels, pool, bands, swimming, famous ice cream and so much more. So it makes sense that people would want a say in the upcoming renovations.

The members of the Wisconsin Union Building Project recognize that they are renovating a deeply loved building. They want to include its patrons in the upcoming renovations, and are providing a forum where their questions can be answered. So come out to The Public Forum on the Memorial Union Reinvestment Project, and come with questions!

Feelin' Good with Madeleine Peyroux

Madeline Peyroux's latest album, "Standing On the Rooftop" is less than three months old, and has already picked up great reviews. The Guardian's John Fordham appreciates that Ms. Peyroux has returned to her "rougher and more worldly quality that goes back to the early jazz and blues methods she understands so well." LA Times' Mikael Wood also notes that "Despite its airy title, “Standing on the Rooftop” brings Peyroux a bit closer to Earth."

Teh album is a combination of original material and imaginative covers. says Ms. Peyroux, "I really do feel that the songs on this record are more positive, that the energy is more positive"

Some of the success of this album is certainly due to her fantastic collaborators, including Allen Toussaint, a R&B composer whose songs have been covered by Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Band, Paul McCartney, Aaron Neville, Dr. John, Jerry Garcia, Phish, Plant / Krauss and scores of others.

The October 12 Wisconsin Union Theater Concert is one of the two Midwest stops on Ms. Peyroux's tour, so be sure to check this concert out!

I ♥ the Archives

Hello archive lovers!

Well, I was going to have you guess who this fellow is, but I think his signature gives it away. Can you make it out? It's John Kriza. He was one of American Ballet Theatre's best known male principal dancers.

I'm just loving those striped pants and boots. Can you guess which performance this image is from?

Bringing World Music to Madison for Free

Erin Bannen
Marketing Intern

One of the coolest parts of the Madison World Music Fest's mission is to showcase the music, art, and culture of the lesser-known parts of the world. We could've just had all the bands on the Terrace and in the Wisconsin Union Theater, but that wasn't bringing it far enough into the Madison Community. So, again this year, we've got some fabulous bands performing at the Willy Street Fair. Live far away? We've got Greyhound buses shuttling from Memorial Union to the fair and back all day!

The line-up for Saturday is as good as it gets. Check it out!

1:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Luisa Maita (Brazil)
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Marco Calliari (Italy/Canada)
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Sergent Garcia (France)
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm - Bomba Estereo (Colombia)

Sultry, seductive and infused with that inimitable samba swing, the music of Luísa Maita embodies the modern spirit of Brazil. Inspired by the bustling urban life found in her native city of São Paulo, her music has a contemporary vibe with influences from alternative pop and downtempo electronic music melded with an acoustic foundation deeply rooted in samba, bossa nova and MPB. Fans of Bebel Gilberto, Céu and Seu Jorge will find much to love in Luísa Maita’s tropical, forward-looking sound, and her sensual yet soulful voice begs comparisons with everyone from Billie Holiday and Sade to Feist, St. Vincent and Cat Power. Hailing from a country overflowing with musical talent, Luísa Maita rises above the fray as one of the most promising young singers of her generation.

Marco Calliari is a singer-songwriter of Italian descent, based in Quebec. He began his career in 1989 in forming the thrash metal group Anonymus alongside Carlos Araya and brothers Daniel and Oscar Souto. Since 2003, he pursued a solo career and has so far released two albums, Che la vita and Mia dolce vita.

With his first album, Calliari found a way to reconnect with the country of origin of his parents. The album includes 14 songs based on Italian folklore and other influences such as jazz. In 2004 he won the Price Galaxy, given by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and was nominated at the Gala MIMI in 2005. An active member of the Italian community in Montreal, he has also participated in first two editions of Ritalfest, a festival honoring Italian music in Quebec.

Sergent Garcia, a heavyweight in the European mestizo music scene, recently released his first full-length album in five years with the groundbreaking Una y Otra Vez (Time and Time Again). A pioneer in blending the fiery Caribbean sounds of salsa, reggae, ska and dancehall with a punk attitude and continental style, Sergent Garcia's latest musical adventure finds him traveling to Colombia to dive into what is currently the epicenter of some of the world's hottest sounds. A former collaborator of Manu Chau, Una y Otra Vez marks Garcia's return to his independent roots. He will perform again at 9:30 pm on the Memorial Union Terrace.

Founded in Bogotá, Columbia in 2001, Bomba Estereo combines traditional Colombian Cumbia music with electronica. In 2010 they performed at the South by Southwest, Bonnaroo, Lovebox, and Bumbershoot festivals, as well as many other dates across Europe and the US. In 2011 they performed at Coachella. Member Simón Meíja has been nominated for a Rolex mentorship which would see him link with Brian Eno. Their song Fuego was in the background of the episode "Circle Us" on the Showtime series Dexter, during a scene outside of a club. In 2011 they performed at the VIVE LATINO in Mexico DF. Want to see some hot Colombian hip hop/rock/electronica? Don't miss this one.

Sweet Honey in the Rock and American Sign Language

Not many bands have an American Sign Language Interpreter. Sweet Honey in the Rock, performing at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Oct. 7th, does. Here's why, in the words of Shirley Saxton', the band's sign language interpreter:

"A Sign Interpreter’s Song – by Shirley Childress Saxton
 
"The goal and responsibility of a Sign Language Interpreter is to facilitate communication between Deaf and Hearing people. This is most effectively achieved by using the language of the Deaf, which is American Sign Language (ASL).

"For many deaf people, music and singing are foreign media, and its relevance in their lives is debatable. Music is often perceived as another sound-based communication barrier, an instrument of discrimination and oppression of Hearing upon Deaf. So why would Deaf people be interested in a Sweet Honey In The Rock singing experience? Perhaps for some of the same reasons as Hearing people – to exult, celebrate, and praise God, life and living, creativity and culture; to sing the blues or discuss politics; or maybe to share a good time with family members and friends. Each Deaf (and Hearing) person “hears” Sweet Honey differently. While the vocal harmonies may not register, a poignant message can leave a memorable impression.

"The challenge of interpreting the songs of Sweet Honey In The Rock is to accurately convey the message of the songs, reflect the mood and emotional intent of the singers, and render visually the melody, harmony, and rhythm of the music. I accepted the challenge of interpreting Sweet Honey In The Rock’s message and music in 1980, after having interpreted professionally for seven years.

"Sweet Honey In The Rock had, in that year, made a commitment to making concerts accessible to the Deaf and to developing a Deaf audience. From the beginning, the group included the Sign Language Interpreter in her costuming and in the semi-circle in which she sits or stands to perform. This inclusion has been a clear statement to the Deaf audience that they’re included in the conversation.

"Each song is an expression of the self. Each has a story line and personality. For example, in Breaths, the tempo is slow; the attitude is spiritual, encouraging an open heart and mind. The first word is “Listen;” the first sign represents the concept of gaining one’s attention. …In my use of American Sign Language, the interpretation of a song is not an exact word-to-sign translation, but a full and vibrant visual depiction of the message.

"…Some songs like Fulani Chant have no words at all. Here, the interpreter is challenged to visually represent the sounds being made – a moan, a hum, a breath, a brisk wind, an ocean wave, a complex rhythm or a singer’s a cappella characterization of a musical instrument. I imagine an abstract painting using color and shape to create a picture. Thus a movement or gesture with grace or force, a fluctuation of the hand, arm, or shoulder with patterns big and small may be used in combination with verbal descriptions to help visualize the sound. Each Sign Language Interpreter will have her or his own unique interpretive style. My style tends to be fluid, loosely scripted, not static. Vocabulary and movements may change form performance to performance as the lead singer may not sing a song the same way each time it is performed.

"…As Sweet Honey In The Rock opens her mouth to sing, the Sign Language Interpreter moves her hands to sign. As the lyrics exclaim their message and as the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms are vocalized, they are paralleled by the poetry and power of the visual language of American Sign."

From Continuum: The First Songbook of Sweet Honey In The Rock (Contemporary A Cappella Publishing, 1999)

Cruising the Eastern Mediterranean, for Cheap

Recession got you down? Wish you could tour Greece but don't have the cash? Join the Wisconsin Union Theater for "Cruising the Eastern Mediterranean!"

 Begin with a visit to the glorious sites of Venice, and then spend a day ashore exploring the Greek Island of Ithaca, the legendary home of Ulysses. Wander through the ruins of Olympia, the site of the historic games. From there, explore the ancient temples that honor the mythical birthplace of Apollo. Learn about the history and life of Athens as you wander through modern Placa and the temples of the Acropolis. Cruise along the Turkish coast to explore ancient Troy and stop-over at Chlos, the possible birthplace of Christopher Columbus. Before heading back to Venice, dock at port Said, the enterance to the Suez Canal and embark for an overland journey to the Pyramids of Giza and the bustling city of Cairo.

Who made this fabulous film, you ask? Mary Lee and Sid Nolan have been working in the field of educational media production for over 35 years. Their companies, Academic Media Network and GlobeScope Travel Productions, create documentaries, educational materials, and specialty films for a variety of clients.

Between them, the Nolans hold advanced degrees in History, Geography, Anthropology, Journalism, and Recreational Resource Development. Their travels have taken them to every continent of the world except Antarctica.

Public Forum on the Memorial Union Reinvestment Project

Tuesday, August 30th 
Check Today in the Union
 
• Come hear about plans for the renovation of Memorial Union.
• Learn about the decision-making process to date as well as the timeline for construction.
• There will be an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation.
Submit questions ahead of time to reinvestment@union.wisc.edu, unionreinvestment.wisc.edu