Darwin's Meditation for the People of Lincoln

Drove over to Raleigh and the campus of NC State to see yet another performance by Daniel Bernard Roumain, otherwise known as DBR. This piece, a multimedia production entitled Darwin's Meditation for the People of Lincoln. Two iconic figures born on the same day in 1809. DBR wonders, what would they say to each other if they met? The performance and the piece can be best described by the man himself:



Not knowing what to expect, some "modern" portions of Act I were oddly intriguing. I suppose I had it in my mind that traditional melodic measures would flow. Act I included many sporadic notes and off-tempo beats. Once I settled into the show, it really opened up for me and I enjoyed it immensely.

The treat before the 8pm show was the 6:45pm discussion in the student center on campus. Got there right as it began, and no one was sitting in the very front row! Hell, I'll sit there! Great to hear his thoughts on the piece firsthand. Also cool to hear his tackle audience questions with humility and grace. And finally, even better for him to offer to shake my hand after the discussion. I squeal like a girl.

DBR + the SQ Unit

Last February we went to NC State in Raleigh to see a concert of DBR + the Mission. Last night was a toned down version, "unplugged" if you will, of DBR + the SQ Unit. "SQ" meaning string quartet. Sadly, Kimberly could not get out of work with all her days off for Europe and lobbying stuff, so Chris made the solo drive out to Raleigh to see the show himself.

A stop in Raleigh at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium first for dinner after work. The delicious Founders Breakfast Stout was on the docket, yet another brewery making their entry into the North Carolina beer market. Life is good. A French Dip and some stouts, then it was on to the NC State campus and the concert.

Excerpts from A Civil Rights Reader, pieces composed in tribute to heroes of the civil rights movement, were performed.
String Quartet No, 1 X (1993)
String Quartet No. 2 King (2001)
String Quartet No. 3 Powell (2003) -- for Adam Clayton Powell, not the general
String Quartet No. 4 Angelou (2004)
String Quartet No. 5 Parks (2005)

The Parks quartet was interesting with a movement entitled Klap Ur Handz, which had relegated moments and structured composition for hand clapping. Great fun! Takes "classical music" and turns it on its ear. The creativity and message behind the music was jaw-dropping.

Also on the program was a commissioned piece for an octet: a professional quartet plus a quartet of amateur students. 4 students from NC State met the band Monday, and performed onstage as the octet Tuesday. Unreal. Can't imagine how nervewracking that could be. A balance of the complicated and the simple-yet-still-important to the fabric of the piece. Nifty.

February's concert was an auditory onslaught of what you could do with an amplified and electrified violin. Last night's, even though it was unplugged, still exhibited the skills and virtuosity of making the instrument sing and create notes not heard in conventional arenas.

The big score was after the concert, where groupie Chris hung around for autographs and photos. A wonderful evening. Oops, sorry Kimberly. I meant to say that the evening was a waste and the concert was no fun at all. There's no need to feel bad about having to work and missing the performance. It sucked, Kimberly.

Not.

DBR + The Mission

Last night saw the Gordons drive over to our fair capital ("Raleigh" for those of you playing the home game) to the campus of NC State University to catch a performance by DBR + The Mission at the Stewart Theatre. DBR are the initials for Daniel Bernard Roumain, and a bit of info from his bio can be found here:

Known for fusing his classical music roots with a myriad of soundscapes, Haitian-American artist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) has carved a reputation for himself as a passionately innovative composer, performer, violinist, and band leader. His exploration of musical rhythms and classically-driven sounds is peppered by his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination.

Third row seats, so close we could see the hairs on their bows shredding away. Sadly, the music stand for the cellist was in the way for Kimberly to see her bow, but her left hand on the neck was easily seen flailing away. Neato.

3 violins, a viola, a cello, a keyboard, a bass guitar, a drum set, and a DJ all mix together to weave a musical tapestry of funk and classical and outright fun. Nifty new instruments such as a 5-string bass guitar, a 7-string violin when plugged into a pedal board sounds like a heavy metal guitar, and a viola that is made to sound like a bluesy crying guitar both blew us away. Incredible. 2 hours of fantastic music and entertaining performers.

Here are two snippets to give you a taste:




Way cool. An incredibly fun evening.

"Seamlessly blending funk, hip-hop and classical music to create a revolutionary new sound."

Indeed.