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Poetry and song: Santa Fe Pro Musica joins forces to explore works centered around Walt Whitman
Santa Fe Pro Musica, the Academy for the Love of Learning and Chatter have collaborated to explore community and democracy through performances beginning on Friday, Sept. 27, at Santa Fe鈥檚 Lensic Performing Arts Center.
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In these fractious times, Santa Fe Pro Musica has gathered poets, musicians and actors to build community around the works of Walt Whitman.
The chamber music group, the Academy for the Love of Learning and Chatter have collaborated to explore community and democracy through performances beginning on Friday, Sept. 27, at Santa Fe鈥檚 Lensic Performing Arts Center.
Poetry and song: Santa Fe Pro Musica joins forces to explore works centered around Walt Whitman
鈥淚t鈥檚 a whole arc of a week and beyond that,鈥� said Colin Jacobsen, Santa Fe Pro Music artistic director.
The three will collaborate to bring Compagnia de鈥� Colombari鈥檚 鈥淲hitman on Walls!鈥� project to New Mexico, allowing local artists to 鈥渢alk back鈥� to Whitman in their own words.
Jacobsen, who also performs with the New York-based chamber music group Brooklyn Rider, had already written music to a theatrical version of Whitman鈥檚 famous poem 鈥淪ong of Myself.鈥�
Jacobsen filmed a production of the piece and will show it to local poets from the Santa Fe Girls鈥� School, asking them to respond to its themes.
The programs also will feature Lauren Camp, current New Mexico Poet Laureate; Manuel Gonz谩lez, city of Albuquerque Poet Laureate (2016-2018); Michelle Holland, poet-in-residence for the Santa Fe Girls鈥� School; and Santana Shorty of the Navajo Nation.
A youth concert slated for Friday, Sept. 27, will feature their original poetry backed by a string quartet, flute and percussion.
On Saturday, Sept. 28, Chatter North will do the same at The Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe.
鈥淭he idea is to divvy up the poets because there are so many of them,鈥� Jacobsen said.
On Sunday, Sept. 29, Chatter will repeat the format in Albuquerque at 912 Third St. NW.
鈥淲hitman had a radical vision of an inclusive America at the time and a radical empathy for one鈥檚 fellow citizens,鈥� Jacobsen said.
Some of the poets echoed his ideas, others quarreled with him, he added.
Santa Fe Pro Musica will stage its season opening orchestra concert, also on Sunday, Sept. 29, with a program featuring the entire collection of Jacobsen鈥檚 Whitman music.
鈥淎t this moment, we鈥檙e confronted with a very divided nation,鈥� Jacobsen said. 鈥淲hitman was writing at the center of the Civil War.鈥�
Jacobsen is a violinist and composer who has composed and arranged music for more than 30 albums, won a Grammy Award and is a co-founder of Brooklyn Rider and an original member of Yo-Yo Ma鈥檚 Silkroad Ensemble.
