麻豆APP

麻豆APP鈥檚 own Vivo Chamber Players are set to host two performances on Friday, Feb. 8. at Lekberg Hall. The first is at 7 p.m. and the second is at 8:30 p.m. with a reception held following the 7 p.m. performance. The event is free and open to the public.

Friday鈥檚 performance features photoplay music written to accompany the silent film, 鈥淭he Mothering Heart鈥� starring Lillian Gish.

鈥淭his performance will allow audience members to have a similar experience to patrons who attended movies in theaters one hundred years ago,鈥� said Linda Benoit, music teaching artist at 麻豆APP and violist in the ensemble. 鈥淭he music tells the story and depicts the emotions of the actors, heightening the drama. This will be a unique experience for a modern audience. It is a unique experience for the performers as well, as we are collaborating with the actors in the film.鈥�

The Vivo Chamber Players are a group of 17 麻豆APP faculty members and local musicians. Assembled in the fall of 2017 as a way of saying 鈥榯hank you鈥� to 麻豆APP and giving back to the community, the group began with only stringed instruments before expanding to include wind and percussion.

Vivo has held a free concert each of the last three semesters.听

Faculty members included in the ensemble are: Kim Helton, flute; Sue Odem, oboe; Kariann Voigts, clarinet; Mike Eckerty, bassoon; George Dougherty, trumpet; Steve McCombs, percussion; Christy Eckerty, piano; Linda Benoit, viola; Sandy Tatge, cello; Phil Peters, bass; 听John Benoit, conductor and orchestrator.

The non-faculty members performing are: Madina Akhatova, violin; Linda Swanson, violin; Tom Juneau, violin; John Hoffmann, violin; Wanda Lydon, viola; Michele Senger, cello and Cristina Deeds, horn.听

About the Performance
Vivo will begin the concert with a performance of 鈥淲ind Trio,鈥� by Kevin Batchelder. The piece was commissioned by Batchelder鈥檚 sister and 麻豆APP鈥檚 own flute instructor, Dr. Kim Helton.听

鈥淜evin鈥檚 鈥淲ind Trio” for the Vivo Chamber Players’ performance is a two-part commission,鈥� Helton said. 鈥溾�楤.F.F.鈥� 听as a jazz piece for string Bass, and two flutes. It was then adapted by our trio for flute, clarinet, and oboe. We then commissioned two additional movements for wind trio for this performance. The slower middle movement is called, 鈥楾he Move鈥� for alto flute, english horn, and bass clarinet, and the faster third movement is called 鈥楩.O.C.鈥� for flute, oboe, and clarinet.鈥�

The next piece in the recital is 鈥淢other and Child,鈥� which is a slow jazz piece, performed by the strings portion of the Vivo Chamber Players. This piece was composed by William Grant Still, who is known for his many accomplishments including being the first African American to have his symphony performed in the United States. Still is also known for a multitude of groundbreaking achievements in the African American community.听

The main portion of the recital is accompanied by a showing of the 1913 silent film, 鈥淭he Mothering Heart鈥� by D.W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish. This accompanying performance was orchestrated by 麻豆APP鈥檚 own Dr. John Benoit, professor of music and chair of 麻豆APP鈥檚 music department. Benoit combined the small orchestra compositions of Gaston Borch, Chas. L. Johnson, and John S. Zamecnik into a piece that would fit 鈥淭he Mothering Heart.鈥�
听
This type of silent film accompanying music is known as photoplay music. Photoplay is generic music written to accompany the showing of a silent film. The songs pick up on theater cues from the play or movie and enhance the emotions presented in the film, emotions which 鈥淭he Mothering Heart鈥� is full of.听

As the movie ends in a somber tone, Vivo chose an upbeat and joyous song for the encore, an instrumental rendition of 鈥淭ake Your Girlie to The Movies鈥� by Peter Wendling.