The 2022-23 season of the Harker Concert Series closed with one of the most unique performances in its history on Friday night, as the Twin Cities, Minn.-based Cantus delivered a diverse and creatively arranged collection of songs based on the theme of “Alone Together Again.” The evening’s collection of songs reflected the thoughts and feelings the group had gathered during their time performing to empty theaters (with online audiences) during the COVID-19 pandemic, often projecting airs of both loneliness and togetherness.
Concert opener “Deep Blue,” by Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire, was a suitably dour arrangement, its dark harmonies carrying lyrics that matched many a mood in the spring of 2020: “We watched the end of the century / Compressed on a tiny screen / A dead star collapsing and we could see / That something was ending.”
“Deep Blue” closed with words imploring listeners to “put the cellphone down for a while,” which provided the perfect segue into Ingrid Michaelson’s “Twitter Song,” a light-hearted lampoon of the social media platform’s excruciatingly fast-paced and nuance-free user experience, the singers transfixed by their smartphones.
Things got much brighter later in the set, notably after the intermission, when the group launched into Ysaye Barnwell’s “Tango with God,” throwing in some very light percussion to further sell the mood. Their heartfelt rendition of Jean Sibelius’ famous tone poem “Finlandia,” with lyrics by Lloyd Stone, also fit neatly into the evening’s more hopeful fare, it being the performance that earned them viral fame in the summer of 2020.
Spirits were further lifted toward the end of the show as the singers performed the Limeliters’ folk jaunt “There’s a Meeting Here Tonight,” no doubt referencing the country’s slow but sure reintegration to in-person life. With the sunlight streaming in during “Yonder Come Day,” their show closer, it at least felt as though the world they envisioned could be realized. All the more reason to make John Lennon’s “Imagine” their encore.
The artist lineup for the 2022-23 season of the Harker Concert Series, featuring the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, saxophonist Donny McCaslin and the vocal group Cantus, has just been announced.
For more than 30 years, the San Jose Chamber Orchestra (SJCO), opening the season on Sept. 30, has developed a reputation for presenting exciting music that reflects the diversity and eclecticism of the South Bay. Founded in 1991 by music director Barbara Day Turner, the ensemble has established itself as both world-class performers of works by noted composers (including Hyo-shin Na, Clarice Assad and Joel Friedman) and a place where young up-and-coming artists are given the opportunity to collaborate with established performers and composers. Under Turner’s direction, SJCO has premiered more than 200 works, including six American operas. It is also a frequent collaborator with local organizations including sjDANCEco and The Choral Project, and more recently the group commissioned 11 new works for RESPONSEWORKS, a project featuring composers’ musical interpretations of the many turbulent events of 2020.
Known to the wider music world for his performance on art-pop icon David Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar,” saxophonist Donny McCaslin, appearing Nov. 4, is a Grammy-nominated composer and bandleader who has released more than a dozen albums of original music. Born in Santa Cruz, McCaslin first found music at age 12 and performed with this father, a vibraphonist, in his teens, making multiple appearances at the Monterey Jazz Festival by the time he had reached high school. He moved to New York City after attending Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. While performing as a soloist for the Mara Schneider Orchestra, he was noticed by Bowie, who hired McCaslin’s quartet to help realize Bowie’s vision for “Blackstar.” McCaslin’s subsequent album, “Blow,” showcased the influence of his collaboration with Bowie, bringing together elements of jazz and alternative rock.
The Twin Cities-based vocal ensemble Cantus, which performs Feb. 3, has received acclaim from across the world for its ability to perform an impressively wide range of music — be it from the Renaissance or the 21st century — at the highest levels. The group has distinguished itself with an approach to learning and creating music that is akin to a group of chamber musicians, working without a conductor and involving every member of the group in the creative process. This system has served the group well, earning it praise from the New Yorker for its “engaging” performances, and from the Washington Post for its “exalting finesse” and “expressive power.” In addition to being world-class performers, the members of Cantus also bring their experience and expertise to more than 5,000 students every year through master classes and workshops, as well as an award-winning high school residency program.
Tickets for each of these concerts will be available through the Harker Concert Series website for $25. All will take place at the Rothschild Performing Arts center, located at Harker’s upper school campus at 500 Saratoga Ave. in San Jose. Prior to the 7 p.m. start time, each concert will be preceded by a 6 p.m. reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages as well as a cash bar for beer and wine