Broadcaster Press 3 March 31, 2015 www.broadcasteronline.com Bach’s Birthday Performances at National Music Museum By Christine Feltes For the Plain Talk Johann Sebastian Bach’s music filled the halls of the National Music Museum last Saturday as performers and an appreciative audience gathered to celebrate the composer’s 330th birthday. This musical happening in Vermillion is part of an international effort called Bach in the Subways, which aims to increase appreciation of classical music in today’s world. Patricia Bornhofen, manager of communications for the museum as well as the event’s coordinator in Vermillion, emphasized the importance of introducing Bach to larger audience. “Bach in the Subways is supposed to be random, with people erupting into Bach, to celebrate Bach’s birthday,” she said. “And more than to celebrate Bach, to encourage people to pay attention to classical music.” The musical offerings began with Darin Wadley, a professor of music at the university, and his son performing a few of Bach’s works on a vibraphone and a tuba. “We’ve never done this before,” Wadley said. “These instruments didn’t exist in Bach’s time.” They were joined by Holly Haddad on the clarinet to play a short chorale piece by Bach. Bornhofen reiterated that one of the ideas behind the event is to allow people to hear classical music played on many different instruments. “Stereotypically, it’s strings and keyboards, but actually there are arrangements for everything,” she said, noting the assumption that classical music can only be performed on some instruments. One of the goals of the movement is, according to Bornhofen, “to show people that classical music can be played on a variety of different instruments.” Of course, more traditional instruments than the vibraphone had their moments at the event. Lorrie Thomas and the University of South Dakota bassoon group played several pieces that Bach specifically wrote for bassoon. Then Arian Sheets, curator of stringed instruments, played several of Bach’s works on an 18th century viola which had received some modifications in the 19th century. The instrument was very similar to instruments that would have been played while the composer was alive. “That’s part of the spirit of this, people play what they play, and that shows how Bach can be re-contextualized,” Bornhofen stated. In the afternoon, three pianists exploring the museum gave an impromptu performance of several Bach pieces on a Clarinova piano with permission of the museum staff. The day’s performances concluded in the afternoon with a rendition of Bach’s Prelude in C on an electric piano by Rhye Leonard. Bach in the Subways was founded in 2011 by a New York cellist, Dale Henderson, who saw a need to introduce Bach’s music into ordinary situations. As the name implies, Henderson began by performing Bach’s works in the subways of New York. The movement has since expanded across the globe, with performances this year in 129 different cities as diverse as New York, Tokyo, Chihuahua, and Vermillion, according to its website: bachinthesubways.com. “Every year they do it, it grows. There are major concerts being done in some place, as well as people playing in subways, people on street corners, people doing marathons,” Bornhofen told the audience. It is due in large part to the National Music Museum that the event could take place in Vermillion. And, it looked like the event held last Saturday at the museum was helping, as stated on bachinthesubways.com, “to sow the seeds for future generations of classical music lovers by generating public interest and excitement for the art form.” For an Extended Version of this Story visit www.plaintalk.net The USD Chamber Singers and director David Holdhusen (front center) taking their final bows of their Spring Tour. AMBER MARGHEIM/ FOR THE PLAIN TALK Chamber Tour Ends on High Note By Amber Margheim For the Plain Talk who posted the Youtube video, came running up to Holdhusen before rehearsal saying “He (Priano) wrote back to us.” Jonny wrote on our Youtube page and he saw our video and he loved it and he wrote this comment and he wants to talk to you and to meet you”. Holdhusen and Priano connected through email. Holdhusen recalls how Priano praised the choir saying “how impressed he was that a choir of that size at that time could sing a piece with all the sustain and how wonderful the harmonies were and just said really kind things”. “After that, he and I stared to communicate a little bit and a year or two later we performed his next published piece” says Holdhusen. Just as with the previous song, the choir performed it and recorded it. After hearing that recording, Priano contacted Holdhusen and said ““I have all these pieces that I don’t have published and I just really want it out there. Would you be interested in singing some of them?” Since then, the Chamber Singers have done something from manuscript from Priano each year, bringing his unpublished works to the masses for four years now. “Every year he sends us something we like that seems better than the year before” remarks Holdhusen. Last year Priano sent the choir a piece entitled Do Not Fear. “A piece that touched the choir to its very soul” comments Holdhusen. 2014 Drinking Water Report Can be viewed online at: http://bit.ly/1BVOwkT Online at: vermillion.us CHOOSING THE RIGHT DEALER WILL MAKE THIS PAINLESS! SAVE NOW UP TO 2,300 $ with manufacture & utility rebates • Experienced Technicians • 24 Hour Emergency Service • 34 Years Experience • Mobile Dispatching • Plan Maintenance Agreement HEATING & COOLING 920 Broadway, Yankton • 665-9461 • www.larrysheatingandcooling.com Wednesday, April 8th , 6:30 pm Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside City of Vermillion Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside Two South Dakota Students Win National Silver Medals for Their Artwork Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside As the golden sunshine from a beautiful day filtered and faded toward evening through the windows of the United Church of Christ, the University of South Dakota Chamber Singers began the final concert of their spring tour. This was more than just a homecoming performance following their European tour, it was a moment in time and the culmination of a four year relationship between the singers and composer Jonny Priano that had begun in that very church. Six years ago David Holdhusen, Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music at USD was sitting one summer day at that year’s SD-ACDA conference. Don Langlie, owner of Poppler’s Music Store came to Holdhusen with some music to review. Holdhusen describes reviewing new This panoramic image was taken during the USD Dakotathon’s Local Band Night event, held on March 20th, which raised over $500 for music as often “A lot of fadthe Children’s Miracle Network. ing through and finding that THOMAS HATZENBUHLER / FOR THE PLAIN TALK gem”. “On that day, Holdhusen recalls “I came across a piece called Vieni Nel Mio Cuore ….and I listened to about 45 seconds and I wrote it down on my list. By the time I got to 5 minutes The Next Generation of amplify their unique voices American schools abroad the country will gather in and 35 seconds (the full Creative Leaders Named as with a national audience.” received national recogniNew York City to attend the National 2015 Scholastic Art All art and writing subtion and gained access to National Celebration series length of the song) it was & Writing Award Winners missions are judged based exhibition and publication of events in their honor, programed into the tour. It on the program’s three crite- opportunities, as well as hosted by the Alliance. This was phenomenal”. New York, NY — March ria: originality, technical skill scholarships. This year’s celebratory week will kick off “I heard it, I loved it, I 16, 2015 — The nonprofit and emergence of personal list of distinguished jurors on June 5 with the opening programmed it. We sang it”. Alliance for Young Artists & vision or voice. Student included artist Andres Serof the Art.Write.Now.2015 Later that year the choir Writers in partnership with works are first adjudicated rano, poet Nikki Giovanni, National produced a recording of their South Dakota Art Affiliregionally through the more Warhol Museum Director Exhibition at the Sheila ate, the University of South than 100 local Affiliates of Eric Shiner, artist Wangechi C. Johnson Design Center at Vieni Nel Mio Cuore at the Dakota Art Department, tothe Alliance. South Dakota Mutu and comic artist Dash The New School’s Parsons United Church of Christ day announced the national Regional winners receivShaw. School of Design and Pratt in Vermillion and posted winners of the 2015 Scholasing Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Since the program’s the video on Youtube. Six tic Art & Writing Awards, the Honorable Mentions and founding in 1923, the Awards n ARTWORK, Page 5 months later, Laura Kuschel, n CHAMBER, Page 8 nation’s longest-running and American Visions Nominahave fostered the creativity most prestigious recognitions were celebrated at the and talent of millions of stution program for creative University of South Dakota dents, including renowned Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside Alive Inside teens in grades 7–12. More with an exhibition and March alumni who have gone than 300,000 works of art 1, 2015 Award Ceremony. on to become leaders in and writing were submitGold Key–winning their fields, including Andy ted for adjudication at the works were then judged Warhol, Truman Capote, in the Kozak Community Room regional level in the Awards’ nationally by an impressive Richard Avedon, Philip 28 categories, which include panel of creative-industry Pearlstein and Sylvia Plath. Amazing and eye-opening poetry, painting, architecexperts to receive Gold, More recently, Stephen King, documentary film ture, short story, fashion Silver, American Visions & Richard Linklater, Zac Posen design and more. Voices, Portfolio Silver with and Lena Dunham won SchoAlive Inside South Dakota Students Distinction or Portfolio Gold lastic Art & Writing Awards comes to the library! receiving awards are: Medals. This program year, when they were teens. Sophi Dudley, Vermillion more than 1,900 of the most The screening will be followed High School, Silver Medal for talented teens from 47 U.S. In June, National Awardby a unique community her comic art “Ouija Date”, states, Washington, D.C. and winning teens from across her teacher is Justin Brunick. discussion with the subject of Jacob Boomsma, Brandon the film, facilitated by Valley High School, Silver Ariadne Albright of Medal and American Visions Medal for his digital artwork Sanford Arts Vermillion. “A Fast Food Nightmare”, his There is no cost for this library event, however, we recommend arriving early for the best seats. teacher is Martha Sewell, “The Scholastic Art & 18 Church Street • Vermillion Writing Awards reflect the diverse landscape of today’s 677-7060 young creative thinkers,” or said Virginia McEnerney, vermillionpubliclibrary.org Executive Director of the for more information Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the administrator of the Scholastic Awards. “Year after year we see more of the nation’s most talented and innovative teens emerge from different parts of the country, and it is our privilege to provide them with a platform to share and