No Stone Left Unturned: In Search of Folk in Princeton

Have you been to a folk concert in Princeton? As of yet, neither have I. This genre, built on oral tradition, tends to rely on word-of-mouth in advertising, so newcomers to the style might be a little confused as to where to begin. I am one of those people. I set out to discover the folk music concerts in Princeton that I was sure must be happening somewhere, and as of yet I have not really discovered where. I left no stone unturned from Hoagie Haven to Palmer Square, but all I’ve uncovered are some confused ants, and (to my extreme disappointment) they were not playing banjos.

The internet does not seem to be a particularly efficient tool for finding folksy events and venues, but there is one website of note. The somewhat small but active Princeton Folk Music Society can be found at http://princetonfolk.org/. According to their homepage, the Society has been sponsoring regular folk music concerts in the area for the past 40 years. They are involved in two events per month. One is a sort of informal, salon-style soiree for members only, and the other is a public concert featuring a visiting artist, usually held at Christ Church on Walnut Lane.

The most recent concert featured Beppe Gambetta, a world-renowned acoustic guitarist. If all goes well (this is my first foray into the world of WordPress) below will be a video of Beppe doing his thing:

According to his website (http://www.beppegambetta.com/), Beppe’s style is a fusion of Italian, American, Celtic, and other influences. As you can hear, he also is a master of guitar flat-picking.

Nerissa and Katryna Nields

Next on the Folk Music Society program are The Nields. Nerissa and Katryna Nields are two sisters from Massachusetts who sing in sisterly harmony with a wide variety of influences. Nerissa writes and sings harmonies, while Katryna is the front-woman and sings melodies.

I think I will take the next few words to share the fruits of my Google search on the genre of folk music:

According to an extremely scholarly and reliable source (Wikipedia), there are two definitions of folk music. One is traditional music (passed down by oral tradition from generation to generation, think Appalachia), and the other is the rise of popular folk music that surfaced in the mid 1900s, peaking in the 1960s. So this is when folk went mainstream.

This included many of the same sounds as traditional folk music, but often included a fusion with other genres such as rock, metal, and electric. Coincidently, the Princeton Folk Music Society was founded in 1965, so I would presume that they tend to specialize in the fusion sub-genre. A quick re-read of their President’s welcome letter confirms that the Society was an organized consolidation of the informal folk music groups that began appearing in Princeton around 1963.

With the rise of the “popular folk” genre came some very iconic performers and songwriters. But even before that, one of the first and most important is Woody Guthrie in the ‘30s and ’40’s, who became an inspiration for many later folk musicians. His topics included the experiences  of The Great Depression.  Pete Seeger, who often performed with Woody Guthrie, also created his own group, The Weavers, which had significant success under the Decca label in the early ‘50s and later Vanguard Records label.  Their hits include their original Kisses Sweeter than Wine, Seeger’s If I Had a Hammer, and the Israeli song Tzena, Tzena, Tzena. They also further popularized Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land. Recently, the Princeton Folk Music Society hosted a group called Work o’ the Weavers, which is basically a revival group writing and singing in a similar style. Pete Seeger also wrote an influential instructional book on the playing of the 5-string banjo.

Joan Baez, a singer from the east coast, was incredibly important in the folk-revival in the early 1960’s and may have been responsible for the later success of Bob Dylan. She sang a cover of one of his songs and often collaborated with him on tour.

There are many, many other folk singers who emerged during this time and it would take way longer than my word requirement to talk about them all in detail but other groups worth looking into are Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Kingston Trio, and Judy Collins.

So that’s what I’ve found so far; I think I’ll start turning over stones on Princeton Campus next and see if I can’t find some real live music.

Choral Happenings in Princeton

Princeton University Chamber Choir

As part of the American Handel Society conference last weekend, Princeton University’s Chamber Choir, directed by Gabriel Crouch, and the Westminster Kantorei, conducted by Amanda Quist, performed an excellent program of Handel and Domenico Scarlatti at Taplin Auditorium.  Here is a review of the concert:  http://alturl.com/g6eas

This Sunday (March 3) at 3pm in Richardson Auditorium, the Handel festivities continue when the Princeton University Glee Club performs the great oratorio Israel in Egypt.  For tickets, visit:  http://www.princeton.edu/richaud/events.html

An Electronic Esthetic by Gillian Hurst

It’s all Greek to me.  But as a young, impressionable student of the arts, I strive to understand the inner workings of Electronic music.  So dear reader, let us start at the beginning and take a short trip to ancient Greece.

For optimal use: place in windy area.

The origins of electro-acoustic music can be traced to ancient Greece and the Aeolian harp.

This gadget is the first automatic instrument known to mankind.  It was named after Aeolus, God of Wind (a very confused mythical character with dissociative identity disorder and unfortunately, of no relation to Dionysus).  How does it work? Well, the instrument was constructed with two wooden bridges over which the strings passed.  Then, the instrument was put in the window (or any location with a steady airflow) and the wind current would activate the strings.  The strings are originally all of the same length, tuned to the same pitch, but of different thickness. Which means it is the only stringed instrument that plays just harmonic frequencies.

One, two, skip a few centuries and we find ourselves with Leon Theremin and his invention, the Theremin.  A magical instrument, it does not even require direct physical contact to be played.  Essentially, there are two antennae which sense the position of the player’s hands and one changes the oscillator of frequency while the other controls amplitude, the signals are sent to a loudspeaker and voila! We have music.  From Saint-Saëns to spooky sound effects to modern aesthetics.

Other illuminating contributions to the electronic soundscape include, but are not limited to the Telharmonium, Moog Synth, Ondes Martenot, Novachord, Percussa Audio Cubes and Kaossilator.

Electronic = Music Cubed

The popular electronic music of today is very music software/synthesizer/circuit bending oriented.  What do I mean? Well, as computer technology and music software has become more and more accessible, many more people are taking part in creating electronic music.  Laptop performance is a predominant contribution to the live electronic scene, as well as home-grown tracks.  People have the ability to create personalized software synthesizers to develop whatever sound they please.  This is commonly done through circuit bending, the creative (or completely randomized) reorganization of circuits within devices such as children’s toys and small synthesizers.  The speak-and-spell is a highly sought after sound.

Kind of like Stephen Hawking.

Now, you might be asking yourself “How did Electronic music become an integral part of Princeton’s music culture?”  And the answer lies at Princeton University, obviously.  Back in the ‘30s, the renowned composer and teacher Roger Sessions joined the faculty at Princeton University the same time his student Milton Babbitt enrolled in the school.

And thus, a musical brainchild was born.  They teamed up with a couple of other composers to create the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center.  Unfortunately, it was constructed on Columbia’s campus and in a not so surprising and unfair twist of fate, Princeton was removed from the name.  Milton recorded this little gem at the studio with the famed Soprano Bethany Beardslee in 1964.

Whose name supplies the supreme spoonerism: Bilton Mabbit.

Fast forward to today and Princeton is teeming with Electronic music (less serial/musique concrete).  On a weekend night, you can feel the vibrations of Prospect Ave. (home to the notorious eating clubs of PU) throughout the Borough.  And on the rare occasion Westminster Choir College has a social event/dance, you may hear the extraordinary DJ talents of Roger Kingsland.  And in the hallowed halls of Taylor (a fine building on the WCC campus), illustrious music critic and cat connoisseur Christian Carey can be found composing incidental music with electronics.

The moral of the story? Music is in the air, my friends.  Stay tuned for some in depth interviews and sweet little ditties.  Catch you on the flip side.

via An Electronic Esthetic.

Young Princetonian Composers

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to call your attention to a simple equation which I have encountered countless times these past few years.

Princeton = Princeton University.

When I tell my relatives that I go to college in Princeton, their eyes shine in awe… for the wrong reason. My school is located in Princeton, but has no affiliation to the university itself. Indeed, I am a proud member of Westminster Choir College: a small campus filled with music and well-known for its magnificent choral tradition. But I always get a nagging feeling that not many people are really aware it exists. I know for certain that my relatives’ expressions shrivel up into concentrated frowns whereupon they ask, “Is that close to Julliard?”

Likewise, when consulting the all-knowing Google for information on “composers in Princeton,” it enlightened me with a lot of composers in and of Princeton University. I was shocked to find that although Westminster was supposedly THE music school around here (and we certainly do have a composition department), even the identity of Princetonian music was defined by the university!

The amazing Mimi Omiecinski and the Music Since 1900 class, post-tour.

I can tell you that I was more than a little miffed, so our tour of Princeton could not have come at a better time. A couple of weeks ago, our Music Since 1900 class decided to go on a short tour of Princeton with Ms. Mimi Omiecinski of the Princeton Tour Company.

Aah the equation; how right it is.  I finally understand just how much Princeton’s history was heavily based on the development of the University. Certainly without it, this place would not be thriving economically and culturally as much as it is now. Although we only got to see and hear an abbreviated version of the entire tour, Princeton now looks entirely different to me… And I’ve been here for the past two and a half years!  Thus, I shamelessly encourage you to take this tour. It is well worth all the walking, that’s for sure!

Now without further ado, let me begin with a short historical overview of significant Princetonian composers who are (get ready for this…) from Princeton University.
As far as composers in Princeton go, there aren’t many particularly famous ones except for Milton Babbitt and… well, Milton Babbitt (1916-2011). He was an alumni and professor at PU; a pioneer in electronic music, and famous for writing “difficult” music which involved a lot of mathematics. Paul Lansky (current professor of music at PU) is another name that was mentioned quite frequently as well. With more research (and hopefully an interview with Mr. Lansky), I hope to uncover more about past and present composers of all ages in Princeton… University.

I also know that Princeton University has a thriving graduate program in composition, and two composition groups called the Undergraduate Composer’s Collective and the Composer’s Ensemble. Although the Composer’s Ensemble website was slightly out-of-date, the Undergraduate Composer’s Collective really seems to emphasize performances and the support for new works by students.

At this point, if you have been clicking all of the hyperlinks and still feel inclined to continue, PLOrk is also another intriguing musical endeavor happening in Princeton that I hope to look into in the near future.

All this being said, I think I would like this blog to mainly feature student composers (and some active adult composers), particularly those who compose choral repertoire. My focus is on the present because it is these people who will ensure the continuity of music being created in, not only Princeton, but world-wide. As they say, “The future is always beginning now.” ~Mark Strand, Reasons for Moving

Anyway, I will start with the place I know best: Westminster Choir College.

Although our composition program is small compared to the other degrees we offer, our comp. majors have their share of creative minds. Just recently on Feb. 15th I performed a beautiful soprano trio piece by a junior Composition and Sacred Music major, Jane Meditz. In the same concert, I heard several extremely talented friends display their works.

So, here’s the master plan; after focusing on the student composers in Westminster, I will move over yonder to Princeton University to seek some potential victi… I mean, subjects to my incessant interviewing. Wish me luck!

And thus begins Kirin Sugino’s search (and eventual discovery and in-depth understanding) of these young Princetonian composers.

Princeton Poet Paul Muldoon and the Wayside Shrines

The Cover of Wayside Shrines’s “Word on the Street”

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Princeton Professor Paul Muldoon is co-leader of a band called the Wayside Shrines.  The group’s style is deliberately eclectic, and it played very successful shows at Joe’s Pub in New York and the Union County Performing Arts Center (Hamilton Stage) in Rahway last week.  One member told me that some music videos are on the way.  Can’t wait for that!  In the mean time, you can read about them here:  http://alturl.com/y3f75

You can also enjoy more of their music here:  http://waysideshrines.org/

The band’s very talented lineup includes several Princeton University professors and other Princetonians:  Tim Chaston (Violin and Vocals), Ila Couch (Vocals and Guitar), Chris Harford (Vocals and Guitars), Ray Kubian (Drums and Vocals), Noriko Manabe (Piano, Keyboards, Clarinet and Vocals), Paul Muldoon (Lyrics and Guitars), Kate Neal (Accordion and String Arrangements) and Nigel Smith (Bass, Mandolin and Vocals).

Interesting Musicians in Princeton Series #1: Manjul Bhargava

Manjul Bhargava

Each week, this blog will introduce you to an interesting musician in Princeton.  Our first entry in this series focuses on Manjul Bhargava.  Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Bhargava grew up on Long Island, completed his Bachelor’s at Harvard in 1996 and his Doctorate at Princeton in 2001.  In 2003 at the age of 28, Bhargava was hired as a tenured full professor at Princeton.  Known for his contributions to algebraic number theory, he has won the Packard Foundation Fellowship in Science and Engineering (2004), the Blumenthal Award (2005), the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize (2005), the AMS Cole Prize for number theory (2008), the Prix Fermat (2011), and the Infosys Prize (2012).

Given all his achievement in mathematics, why is Bhargava the subject of this blog?  Well, it’s because he is a highly accomplished tabla (north Indian drums) player who studied with Pandit Prem Prakash Sharma and Ustad Zakir Hussain.  Over the years, he has been part of Princeton’s very active Indian classical music scene, which I will write more about later.

Here’s a recent feature on Bhargava:  http://alturl.com/azwcp

You can hear Bhargava play the tabla here:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4111253

A Cappella is Not Just for Students: Sunday at the Princeton Public Library

A cappella choirs are often associated with high schools and colleges.  Over the years, Princeton residents have probably heard the all-male Princeton Nassoons, the all-female Tigerlilies, Princeton’s Jewish a cappella ensemble Koleinu, or Westminster Choir College’s Deftones.  Fewer might know of Jersey Transit, a community a cappella group that has sung for over 20 years.  On Sunday, February 24 at 3pm, the ensemble will sing everything from jazz standards and reggae to R&B and contemporary pop at the Princeton Public Library (65 Witherspoon Street).  For more information and other events at the Library, visit http://www.princetonlibrary.org/events

Handel Manuscript on Display in Firestone Library

The Title Page of Handel’s Berenice

Until March 4, Firestone Library of Princeton University is putting on display its recently acquired manuscript of Berenice, an opera that Handel wrote in 1736.  This 297-page scribal copy belonged to Charles Jennens, one of Handel’s patrons and the librettist for several of his works, most notably Messiah.  Although not well known and relatively rarely performed, this work contains lots of wonderful music.  According to Wendy Heller, a Baroque opera scholar who teaches at Princeton, manuscripts like these can not only inspire students, but also teach them about how sources work and how they are preserved.  For more information, visit:  http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2013/02/18/32754/.  The manuscript is also available in Princeton’s Digital Library:  http://pudl.princeton.edu/objects/0g354g50k

An Excellent Review of the Richardson Chamber Players’s Concert Last Sunday

Founded in 1994, the Richardson Chamber Players is a flexible ensemble consisting of Princeton University’s superb performance faculty (which includes several principal players in major orchestras in the area), guest artists, and top students at the university.  Each year, the group performs three concerts at Richardson Auditorium on the Princeton campus.

Last Sunday, the group performed an ambitious program of early 20th-century music by German and Brazilian composers.  Bookending the program were two of Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras:  No. 6 for flute and bassoon and No. 5 for soprano and eight cellos.  In the middle were Kurt Weill’s Frauentanz, a song cycle that set seven medieval poems, and Paul Hindemith’s dark song cycle Die Junge Magd.

Here is the Town Topics‘s excellent review of this concert:  http://alturl.com/3mrk6

For more information about the ensemble and its Slavic-themed concert on April 28, visit:  http://www.princeton.edu/puconcerts/richardson-chamber-player/

Westminster Professor Lindsey Christiansen Discusses This Weekend’s Art Song Festival

This Friday and Saturday, Westminster Choir College will host its annual Art Song Festival.  This year’s theme is “Wagner, Wagnerites, and the Lied,” and all events are in Bristol Chapel on Westminster’s campus (101 Walnut Lane).  On Friday evening at 8pm, students of the College will sing art songs by Wolf, Mahler, Strauss, Zemlinsky, Schoenberg and Berg.  The next evening at 8pm, they will perform selections from Wolf’s Mörike Lieder.  Playing the piano on both evenings is renowned collaborative pianist and Westminster faculty member J.J. Penna.  Preceding each recital, festival founder and coordinator Lindsey Christiansen will present lectures on Wagner and his legacy on German Lieder at 7:15pm.  Also on Saturday at 1pm, celebrated soprano Christine Goerke will conduct a master class with Westminster students.

Professor Christiansen said that the inspiration for this annual festival came from similar events she participated in during summer festivals.  She said that, at Westminster, “I was aware that the important performing opportunities for our students seemed to be in opera.  While I adore opera, I feel that for students, especially undergraduates, the chance to perform a complete work, not just a role in a work, is artistically very important for their development.  I also felt that having a fabulous coach and accompanist with whom to work offered an unparalleled opportunity.  For these students to be able to perform this complex repertoire with J.J. Penna can be almost life changing.  It’s such fun to see them rise to an unimagined level with such a partner at the piano.  He and I have been on this project since the beginning.”

To prepare students to sing art songs and particularly at this festival, Christiansen focuses extensively on poetry and the culture that produced the song.  She says, “Art song, because it is a melding of two genres, has huge potential for reflecting philosophical, cultural, and historical trends.  Many of our students have little opportunity for studying European history and philosophy.  I welcome every chance to help them see music in the context of the world in which it was written.  Art song can be a great lens for that kind of undertaking.”

About this year’s theme, she states, “This is the Wagner 200 birthday year, of course.  I have personally been a Wagner fan for almost as long as I can remember.  This summer, I will see my eighth complete Ring Cycle—this time in Seattle, which is my favorite Ring so far.  I am also fascinated by the ways the music of late-19^th century Vienna reflects the fractured culture of that time.  The chance to do music influenced by Wagner means a chance to investigate the delicious, complex offerings of composers in the fin-de-siècle who saw his work as a starting point.”Christiansen continues, “Wagner, of course, wrote only 5 songs in his mature style.  There are some others (including a setting of Gretchen am Spinnrade), but they are not particularly good.  The Wesendonck Songs, written while he was writing Tristan (and enjoying his patron’s wife!) are fabulous and a great workshop for Tristan itself.  The last song Träume, with its A-flat pedal point and longing apooggiaturas in undulating harmony above is like Wagner in a nutshell.”

With regards to Hugo Wolf, whose music is the focus on Saturday’s concert, she says, “I love Hugo Wolf so much; it almost depends upon the day as to which songs I most like.  The festival’s program includes the ferocious Wagnerian Lied vom Winde, the tender Auf eine Christblume I, the heart wrenching An eine Äolsharfe (also set beautifully by Brahms, Wolf’s rival), the hysterical Abschied, telling the story of a critic who gets kicked down the stairs to a Viennese waltz, Denk’ es, O Seele, with its double meanings about death, the lusty Nimmersatte Liebe, and the crazy Agnes songs, which set excerpts of Mörike’s novel Maler Nolten.  Meanwhile, Friday’s program will include “the wild Ophelia songs that Strauss wrote to thumb his nose at his publishers who had won a libel suit that forced him to write ‘decent songs.’”  

Christensen says that it is touching to her to see “how many people in Princeton, in addition to our fine students, really love Art Song and are excited to learn about poetry, historical and philosophical context.  This festival is one of the most fun things I do.  I am grateful that there are those who love it as I do.”  As for next year, planning has not begun, but she would love to organize a festival of American art songs with visiting composers.

Recital tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.  The February 23 master class is open to the public at no charge.  Order tickets through the box office at 609-921-2663 or online at www.rider.edu/arts.