Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Photo by Simon Wheeler
The Cornell Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Paul Merrill, presents "Mythology, Folklore, and Freedom," a concert highlighting train imagery in early blues, folk, jazz, and pop, on Sunday, October 27 at 3:00 pm in Bailey Hall. The program features music from a wide variety of artists, including Lead Belly, Elizabeth Cotton, Henry Thomas, Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Thelonious Monk, Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, The O'Jays, and more.

Merrill says the selection of the program theme came from the concept of using technology as a lens for how people view themselves and others. He elaborates that "the invention of the steam engine, for example, transformed who we are as a nation and how we lived together as people. The train certainly revolutionized the way we travel, but at the same time, became a symbol of migration and mobility, a metaphor for freedom, and a locomotive for social change. This concert explores these stories through the poetic and sonic imagery of popular music from the last century, focusing on the stories of African-American musician-composers."

Versatile guest artist Miché Fambro returns to Cornell to perform as a featured guitarist and vocalist, bringing his energetic approach to the stage throughout the audience's programmatic train ride from New York City to Orlando. The program begins and ends with a cappella spiritual performances, visiting many station-stops and musical styles along the way.

On Saturday, October 26 at 5:00 pm at Bailey Hall, the Cornell Chorus performs the annual Twilight Concert. Robert Isaacs directs the nationally renowned treble choir, bringing its signature sound to a program exploring the ideas of generations and human connections, through a mix of repertoire ranging from renaissance motets to Finnish, Tamil, and Czech folksong. A highlight is the world premiere of a new commission from Norwegian composer Hanne Baeverfjord, a setting of the text of the late Nobel laureate Toni Morrison's poem "It Comes Unadorned," which Morrison contributed to a limited-edition letterpress book in 2002. The program concludes with traditional Cornell songs.

There are two opportunities to celebrate Halloween at Sage Chapel. First, on Tuesday, October 29 at 7:30pm at Sage Chapel, Cornell Cinema screens the chilling 1923 silent film classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Lon Chaney as Quasimodo, with the musical score performed live by Dennis James on the Sage Chapel organ. James has played an important role in the revival of silent films with live music, and has toured throughout the world for more than 40 years. The production of the film was massive, turning nineteen acres of Universal Pictures' back lot into 15th-century Paris, complete with a cathedral façade and two thousand extras. Lon Chaney's performance established him as a screen legend with his portrayal of the title character. The edition to be screened is mastered from a multi-tinted 16mm print struck in 1926 from the original camera negative.

Then on Wednesday, October 30 at 12:30pm at Sage Chapel, the Cornell Organists perform a Midday Music program of spooky, silly, and profound transcriptions and original works, including J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Eugène Gigout's Toccata in B Minor, Saint-Saëns Dance Macabre, a Boléro de Concert, and more.

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