Sunday, April 17, 2016 was a glorious sunny spring day for the Duke University Gardens providing a perfect outdoor location for making music. It was a special occasion for two groups that played for the public and attendees of the Duke Alumni Reunion event. The Musica String Ensemble was celebrating 30 years of performing for special events in the Triangle area, and the debut of the Cello Quartet from the Durham Symphony. The String Ensemble program featured Bach's concerto for two violins, and Vivaldi's concerto for two cellos, together with a varied selection of classical, pops, jazz and fiddle pieces. The Cello Quartet played a program of classical and pops. It was a fun morning of playing, this year on the lawn, which gave more space for listeners. We ended with "Carolina in the morning". Couldn't have been more appropriate!
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Feb. 27, 2016 Playmaker's Theatre, UNC -Chapel Hill.
Review by CVNC's William Thomas Walker Serse premiered on April 15, 1738 and was the last attempt of Handel to revive the popularity of Italian opera among London's audiences as tastes changed in the wake of The Beggar's Opera – a ballad opera in English by John Gay (1685-1732). Handel reduced the amount of recitative just enough to carry forward the drama and integrated it with a mix of short arias and full-fledged da capo arias. These follow a pattern of stanza A, stanza B, with A often repeated twice, allowing full display of the main characters' emotions as well as ample scope for the singers' virtuosity, such as rapid runs and divisions in the A repeat. One could say this condensation anticipated the mix of the comic and serious in such works as Mozart's dramma giocoso, Don Giovanni. Middle East exoticism was a popular theme in the operas of the period such as Vivaldi's Bajazet (1735), Cavalli's Xerse (1654), Giovanni Bononcini's Xerxes(1694), and Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782) with its janissary music. The libretto was an adaption of Silvio Stampiglia's for Bononcini, which in turn, prompted Cavalli to draw upon one by Nicolò Minato. Composers of the period did not benefit from copyright laws and were not obsessed with originality, freely "stealing" from others or repurposing their own work. Handel "adapted" some of Bononcini's score for his own Serse. The plot has little to do with the historic Xerxes I of Persia (519-465 BCE), much less Herodotus' fanciful account in his Histories. Serse is not a strict opera seria but mixes comical situations, such as the Persian king's bizarre obsession for plane trees with the usual web of A loves B who loves C who is loved by D with an E, in disguise, who loves A! King Xerxes is engaged to Amastre but wants to marry Romilda, daughter of his vassal Ariodate. However, Romilda is in love with Xerxes' brother Arsamene. Not to complicate the plot, Romilda's sister, Atalanta, is determined to marry Arsamene herself. Amastre disguises herself as a man and visits the court. There is a choice comic roll of Elviro, Arsamene's bumbling servant. Act I, scene 1 introduces the main characters, develops the clash between Serse and Arsamene and leading to the latter's banishment. Sc. 2 is set at the famous boat-bridge over the Hellespoint. Serse rewards his successful general Ariodate by offering to marry Romilda to "a member of the Serse family, equal in blood to himself." (This ambiguity leads to the wrapping up of the tangled loves in the end of Act III.) Act II features Elviro's disastrous delivery of Arsamene's letter for Romilda to her rival sister, Atalanta, who gives it to Serse. He uses it to make Romilda believe her love has been betrayed, Romilda resists his attempts to win her love. Elviro witnesses the collapse of the boat-bridge in a sudden storm. Act III: The true lovers learn of Atalanta's treachery, take advantage of Ariodate's misunderstanding of Serse's orders, and get married. Amastri removes her disguise and Serse is shamed into marrying her. This production was very semi-staged. The singers wore stylized costumes and sang their roles while carrying their copies of the score. Stage director Paige Whitley-Bauguess effectively blocked the cast and gave them expressive gestures. The co-producers were Suzanne Rousso andJeanne Fischer. The large orchestra of HIP instruments was under the direction of cellist Brent Wissick who frequently played in the continuo with harpsichordist Elaine Funaro. They were often joined, with delicious effect, by the Baroque guitar or lute played by Salome Sandoval. Suggestive flavor was given to the orchestra by the pair of recorders, played by Jennifer Streeter and Will Thauer. The strings were augmented by the superbly played Baroque trumpet of Patrick Dougherty, delightful pairs of Baroque oboes played by Thauer and Alicia Chapman, and natural or valveless horns played by Emily Farmer and Breton Nicholas. The production fielded a strong cast of well-prepared singers who all contributed plenty of vocal fireworks and mastery of the Italian text. Soprano Jeanne Fischer was the effective Serse. Her voice quickly warmed up after the opening "Ombra mai fu," (the famous "Handel's Largo"), especially for the arias expressing Serse's rage or frustration. Counter-tenor Bryan Pollock as Arsamene was outstanding, dominating the stage with a magnificent, strong voice. As the main love interest of the two brothers, Romilda, soprano Louise Toppin brought plenty of stylish vocal fireworks to bear in her many arias. Her duplicitous sister, Atalanta, was brilliantly presented by soprano Kathryn Mueller. Mezzo-soprano Erica Dunkle was moving as Amastre, the wronged betrothed of Serse. Baritone Gene Galvin brought plenty of power as well as refinement to the role of Ariodate, Serse's general and father of the two sisters. Baritone John Hinson sang beautifully as Elviro, Arsamene's comic servant, culminating in his drinking aria to Bacchus. Do not miss the repeat performance to hear some 44 arias filled with Handel's genius and rich musicality. More information can be found in the sidebar. by Jane Salemson.
This afternoon in the Auditorium of the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham, 234 young musicians (strings, winds, brass, and percussion) chosen from 400+ students who auditioned, performed in two orchestras, the String and the Symphonic. Of these, 41 were cellists. Most of these students come from public schools, a few from private schools or Home schooling. Some have private lessons, but many do not, and it's a tribute to the orchestra directors and teachers of their work in preparing the students for this challenging event. The String Orchestra was conducted by Dr. Peter Askim who was impressed with the concentration and hard work the students put into rehearsing a varied program which showed off the skills they had worked on so diligently over the weekend. The program started with the String Orchestra playing the Star-Spangled Banner conducted by Joli Brooks, Eastern Regional Orchestra Chair. It was followed by three works, "Idyll" by Leos Janacek, in 3 movements, a work by Peter Askim "As Glaciers Thaw" and an unpublished arrangement of Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango" by Thomas Kalb. All three works were different from each other, showing off lovely legato melodic lines, tight rhythms and challenging techniques (quite a lot of fast treble clef passages for the cellos in the Janacek!) It was a fine string orchestra performance, and very enjoyable. The Symphony Orchestra had fewer strings, but still there were 19 cellists! Many of the students were older than the String orchestra players, and it was good to hear the musical development those extra years gave to their playing. The program was another demanding one for the Symphonic orchestra with Dvorak's Slavonic Dance #8, the Masquerade Suite by Aram Khachaturian (5 stirring movements) and Bizet's Farandole from the L'Arlesienne Suite # 2. The conductor was Dr. Jorge Richter. He kept up the momento in the fast movements and the rhythms were tight, very well-bowed by the strings and great articulation by the winds, brass and percussion. The program was exciting, together with some lovely melodic lines in the slow movements, especially in the Nocturne in which the concertmaster Emma Garval, played a beautiful solo for almost the whole movement. On this stage, her sound, which was very sweet and well phrased, did not project hugely, but the orchestra did not overpower her and the effect was lovely. Margot Hollman in her welcoming speech to the audience, thanked the orchestra directors, private teachers and parents and urged parents to support their children who were interested in making a career in music. She said in spite of all the cuts in schools, music thrives, and in the work world there are many opportunities for music careers. Good to hear that in these times of cuts in the Arts, and to admire and enjoy an afternoon of lovely music well played. A native of Chapel Hill, Joshua Starmer’s first cello, at age 7, was a cardboard box with a 12 inch ruler taped to it. Mary Frances Boyce, followed by Brent Wissick, were both incredibly patient with him and over the years he grew to love the instrument. Since graduating to a real instrument, he’s played and recorded with REM’s Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, The Love Language, The Old Ceremony, The Rosebuds, Chris Stamey, Birds and Arrows, Katharine Whalen and many more. In addition to playing the cello, Joshua writes songs, composes and records original music for movies, television, theater and dance. Joshua’s most recent album, “Postcards From Home, Volume 1”, is a collection of songs and stories, one written and recorded each month for a year, that kept him in touch with friends and loved ones. The music played the role of a picture with writing on the back saying “wish you were here”. Featuring his singing, stringed instruments, foot stomps and claps, the pieces convey messages ranging from simple observations about the weather, to coping with a friend’s departure, to getting lost underneath one of the great Egyptian pyramids. You can follow Joshua’s music and stories on the web at: http://joshuastarmer.com/ Feb. 2016 Since the start of 2013, I've written, arranged and recorded a song each month. I recently finished my third year, and thus, third album. Each album ends up being a bit like a musical diary. Seasons change, and so does the tone of the music (fall, for instance, is almost always darker than summer). A vacation can inspire a song, and so can the ups and downs of daily life. Here is some information about a cello group called Cello Chill from the western area of NC.
What is Cello Chill? In 2011, a few adult cello students in the western NC area wanted to create more opportunities to play together. Their first weekend get-together in early 2011 at Gingercake Acres was named “Cello Chill” and the name stuck. The core group of participants keeps planning events because they have such a great time playing together! In 2012, the Cello Chill moved to Wildacres Retreat in Little Switzerland, NC. We love the place, the people, and the food. If you are interested in a fun and educational adult cello event, consider joining us at Wildacres Retreat May 9-15 2016! Instructors: We are excited to have Erin and Jorge Espinoza return as our lead instructors again this year. Both are professional cellists who perform as well as teach. They moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico last year to allow Jorge to join La Catrina String Quartet and to teach cello at New Mexico State University. Erin and Jorge are knowledgeable and patient teachers and are well known and loved by our Cello Chill participants. They incorporate fun and humor when appropriate in their teaching, a trait adult cello students greatly appreciate! For more information, contact Kim Smith -[email protected] Facebook- CelloChill January 30, 2016. Two very special events for cellists and cello enthusiasts. In the morning for 2 hours, we were treated to a masterclass with Amanda Forsyth, previously Principal cellist of the Canadian Arts Centre Orchestra, now an international touring solo cellist. In another building of the University, members of the NC Cello Society went to the Cello Music Collection, the largest one in the world! It is housed in the Martha Blackeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, Cellists are really putting Greensboro NC on the music map! Stacey Krim, in charge of the cello collection had prepared a feast for our eyes and ears. A presentation to introduce us to the intricacies of accessing a huge amount of information about the cello, was well done, and made those of us who are technologically-challenged, less daunted at the prospect of doing this at home. A very special item on the site was a playlist of cello performances from YouTube. This is going to save so much time surfing around trying to find cello performances. A big undertaking and I for one, am extremely grateful. Another great service this collection offers, is the access to cello choir music that can be scanned and sent to groups for ensemble playing. Looking through just a small part of the collection was like a child in a sweet shop, "I want this one, I want that one"! Jane Salemson. by Jane Salemson During the week of January 25th, when Pinkas Zuckerman and Amanda Forsyth are performing the Brahms Double concerto for Violin and Cello with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, I thought it would be interesting to tell about a concert on Oct. 29. 2014 in Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, UK. It is an excerpt from my book "Britcellist Abroad". The concert was by the Canadian National Arts Centre Orchestra with Pinchas Zukerman conductor, and soloist in the Bruch Violin Concerto. His wife, Amanda Forsyth is the principal cellist. Other works performed were the Brio: Toccata and Fantasy for Orchestra by John Estacio, the Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams, and Beethoven's Symphony #7. The concert was to commemorate the 600,000 Canadian soldiers who came to help England in the First World War, almost a hundred years to the day. The soldiers made a big impact in Salisbury, as they were based on Salisbury Plain, just outside the city. Here is a brief description of the Canadian Army coming to England. The Canadian Division, consisting of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and the Newfoundland Regiment, were taken by the fleet of 33 Atlantic liners assembled in Gaspé Basin off the coast of Quebec province for a rendezvous with their Royal Navy warship escorts. On 3 October, 1914, the transport ships steamed ahead out of Gaspé Bay in three lines led by the Royal Navy warships. Making its way up the St. Lawrence seaway the convoy passed through the gateway of Canada, the Gulf of St. Lawrence. As it passed the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, the sealing-ship SS Florizel, with the Newfoundland Regiment aboard, joined the fleet. As the army set sail for Europe it was the first time that such a large contingent of troops had ever crossed the Atlantic. The voyage was uneventful and long. The fleet entered Plymouth Sound off the south coast of England on the evening of 14 October 1914. Censorship about the arrival of the Canadian Armada had been so strictly controlled that the fleet was completely unexpected by the local people of Plymouth and Devonport. However, word quickly got around that the Canadian transports had arrived and the townspeople flocked to the waterfront to cheer. When the Canadian troops disembarked they marched through the streets to a warm welcome. However, they endured a long miserable winter training in the mud and drizzle of Salisbury Plain. There they spent four dismal winter months in the mud, cold and rain. On the sodden fields, in the fog and mud of the battalion lines, in the dripping tents and crowded, reeking huts. Morale was low and sickness was common. But once the rains stopped and training could begin properly, the men of Canada gave promise of the great spirit they possessed. They displayed a spirit of endurance, courage, and willingness that proclaimed them to the world as troops of the finest quality. In the spring of 1915, they were deemed ready for the front line and were razor-keen. Nothing, they believed, could be worse than the Salisbury Plain. In the years that lay ahead, they were to find out just how tragically wrong that assessment was. Although I had been to the cathedral many times in the summer and early autumn, when walking to the concert, I was totally blown away by the beauty of the cathedral and its surrounding close. From the busy street leading to the cathedral there is a centuries-old stone archway. Walking through it takes you into a different world. The Close between the arch and the wall surrounding the edge of the lawns around the cathedral footprint, is a large green lawn circled by beautiful houses from the 15th -18th centuries, several of which have appeared on Masterpiece Theatre. Mompesson House was one such place in movie history. Scenes from the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility were filmed there. Other famous houses include former UK Prime Minister Edward Heath’s house, Arundells, built in the 13th century. Next door is the “Wardrobe”, the Rifles Museum, and further down the road which circles the cathedral, is the Salisbury Museum and the Bishop's House. Since the clocks moved back last Sunday, with lighting only on the walkways surrounding the cathedral, it gets very dark even before Evensong. It had been drizzling for a while, making the area around the cathedral very misty. The view of the yellow sandstone cathedral with the mist swirling all around and up to the spire, which is engulfed by it at the top, is breathtaking, making a perfect backdrop for Halloween and a great photo. http://nac-cna.ca/en/event/9067 Cellist and Ethnomusicologist Jonathan Kramer of NC State has recently published, with colleague Alison Arnold, an interactive e-textbook in World Music/Music Appreciation, What in the World Is Music?
"What in the World is Music? is an undergraduate, interactive e-textbook that incorporates more than 300 video and audio links to music from around the world. The text investigates the nature and meaning of music as a universal human practice, while providing students with strong points of connection to the ways it affects their own lives. Merging the study of Western music tradition along with the ethnomusicological approach to non-Western music, and with a range of examples from both, What in the World is Music? explores how humans organize and experience sound, and the contexts in which music takes place." http://www.routledgetextbooks.com/textbooks/9781138790254/ http://www.tandf.net/books/details/9781315764306/ http://www.amazon.com/What-World-Music-Enhanced-E-Book/dp/1138790257 January 21st, 2016 7:30pm Person Recital Hall, UNC-CH Guest artist Timothy Holley (North Carolina Central University) presents a recital of solo cello music. Free and open to the public. The opening work, "Abraham's Sons: In Memoriam Trayvon Martin (2013) by James Lee III was performed most recently in November 2015 at NCCU for Ms. Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin who came to speak as a guest of the NCCU Office of Student Affairs "Rock The Mike" speaker series in November. A new companion work of Lee's, "Mother's Lament: So Many Names Unknown, So Many Lost Sons" (2015) for soprano, boychoir, men's chorus and orchestra also extends Lee’s aesthetic commentary, while further expanding the scope of suffering and mourning originally inferred by the title of the elegiac solo piece. Tania Leon's Four Pieces for Solo Cello (1981) are hidden gems among her compositional output, much of which has been composed for the Dance Theater of Harlem. The work's opening movement is a miniature tour de force of rhythm, melody and expressive gesture. The expressive inner sanctum of the set is to be found in the second piece, a plaintive song dedicated to her father. These pieces were her first completed work following his death. The third piece (titled “Montuno”) captures the infectiousness of Afro-Cuban rhythm, all the while attempting to transfigure the cello (and cellist!!) into a "metamusical performer" through the use of traditional and nontraditional sound effects (pizzicato, glissando, tapping and knocking on the instrument, playing extreme highest pitches available, bowing between the bridge and tailpiece, stomping the floor!!) in all of maybe 40 seconds!! The final piece forms a balanced “bookend” to the first, but is more expansive in gesture--starting, obsessing and ending on the same recurring low pitch, C#2 (quite low on the piano keyboard!!). Playing this piece dares me to refer the reader to that famous quote of the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham regarding orchestral music: "There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn’t give a damn what goes on in between”. In discussing and preparing this work I must dare to differ with Beecham and say that what happens in between the beginning and ending is VERY important"!! However, the needed sense of “deadpan acrobatics and ice-water vanity” demanded of the performer cannot be assigned an excessive degree of worry, neither in the practice room, studio, rehearsal or performances!! Just GO FOR IT!! The remainder of the program’s first half is devoted to Trevor Weston's work Shapeshifter: The Angry Bluesman (2011)--which delves into the worlds of techno music, blues melody, its expressive "gesture", and the potential rhythmic drive which energizes all of them. One of the most fascinating aspects of the work is its "volatility of atmosphere": multiple shifts of rhythm, melody, tempo and expressive gesture dominate this work's twelve minutes’ duration. While a "spirit of the blues" is easy to catch throughout this work, the listener will not be afforded the "luxury of quoted familiarity" in it, which is so expected and even yearned for within our blues-based popular music. (There’s just too much volatility!!) The remainder of the program, the Sonata for Cello (2012) of Adolphus Hailstork is an imposing work that opens with a gesture of "homage" to the first suite for solo cello of Johann Sebastian Bach. Following that polite "opening nod", this work seems to go places that Bach didn't have the time or cultural resources to travel 295 years ago!! The influence of the gigue from Bach pervades the entire movement, yet the presence of blues melody strangely working in tandem with the dance produces a unique musical result and aesthetic effect. The second movement is best described as "a slow tempo blues song in rondo form", but playing and hearing it can also resemble a road trip across Pennsylvania on Interstate 80!! Formal structure and travel descriptions cast aside, the digressive section melody is given an interesting directive in the score: "call and response". This directive is a reference to what is called the tradition of "lining" or "raising a hymn", which comes from the black sacred and folk music tradition. Notwithstanding its repetitive formal structure, this melody is the most transcendent facet of this movement. The final movement reprises thematic material from the previous two movements, engaging the melodies in what might sound like the dialogue, disagreement and dissolution of argument...among children!! Odd as the opening “argument” may sound, it gives way quite fittingly to music that sounds of children's play song!! In this manner, the Bachian gigue and blues dance aesthetics of the opening movement are “prayed over” in the call and response of the middle movement road trip, and then both “join hands” with the play songs of children in the final movement. Program notes provided by Dr. Timothy Holley. RECITAL REVIEW http://cvnc.org/article.cfm?articleId=7789 PRINT Share Facebook Twitter Google+ Email Cellist Timothy Holley Meets the Challenge and Challenges Us By Ken Hoover. January 21, 2016 - Chapel Hill, NC: A good crowd was assembled in Person Hall on the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus to hear guest cellist Dr. Timothy W. Holley in recital. Holley is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College and the University of Michigan. He performed with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra for twelve years and was also affiliated with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra during that time. An Associate professor, he has been an assistant and now Associate, professor of music at North Carolina Central University since 1996. He has been a member of the Mallarmé Chamber Players and has performed with the Ciompi Quartet of Duke University and the North Carolina Symphony. His opening selection was "Abraham’s Sons: In Memoriam Trayvon Martin" composed in 2013 by African-American composer James Lee III (b. 1975). The piece opens in the lower register of the cello with what can only be described as an awful cry of pain and sadness after which the instrument explores this theme from double-stop lower register to top. After a trill and a pizzicato passage, the cello seems to cry out in protest, gaining in intensity. A shattering climax leads to calmer and quieter music as though some acceptance were at work in the process. This is music that speaks its own language. I only hope I have not read too much into it. Holley’s performance was intense, technically impressive and artistically relevant. Next on the program was Four Pieces for Solo Cello by Tania León. Born 1943 in Havana, Cuba, she traces in her heritage the blood of Frenchmen, Spaniards, Chinese, Africans, and Cubans. She is highly regarded and has earned awards as a composer, conductor and organizer. In 2000, she was named the Tow Distinguished Professor at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, where she has taught since 1985. The first of the four pieces, marked “Allegro,” opens with the bow attacking the strings, establishing a chromatic theme that dominates the movement. With impressive gymnastic demands, interspersed with lyrical asides, it moved to a comfortable ending. The second piece, “Lento Doloroso, sempre cantabile” (“to my father”) began and ended with a whistling harmonic on the cello – a reference to the love of the composer’s father in playing a flute. With skips of wide intervals, it communicated a lyrical sense of affection, playfulness and strength. The third piece was labeled, simply, “Montuno.” The word means, literally, “Come from the mountain,” and is used in a variety of references in Cuban music. This piece was a rhythmic tour de force with foot stomping and various other percussive techniques and pizzicato playing. It was a delight – especially the playful ending. The finale of the four pieces, marked “Vivo,” was just that – full of life and energy with considerable technical challenges pushing the soloist to the limits. Holley was up to the challenge, at times seeming to almost become one with his instrument. The final piece before intermission was Shapeshifter: The Angry Bluesman composed in 2012 byTrevor Weston, composer and chairman of the music department at Drew University. While the title of this piece could mislead one to interpret the music simplistically, it was anything but simple. Equipped with a jaunty derby, Holley launched into a distorted blues riff, a semiquaver slash with foot stomping, bridge slapping, demanding pizzicato. How could the blues get lost in such anger? After a congenial intermission, Holley performed Adolphus Hailstork’s 2012 Sonata for Cello. Hailstork was educated at Howard University, Manhattan School of Music and Michigan State University where he earned his Ph.D. in composition. He also studied composition with such luminaries as Vittorio Giannini, David Diamond, and Nadia Boulanger. He is currently a professor of music and composer-in-residence at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The Sonata was composed for Holley. The first movement, Allegro moderato, develops slowly out of itself, with occasional side episodes. It gradually becomes more rhythmical and ends with a gentle cadence. The Poco adagio middle movement is the longest and most developed of the three movements with some episodes that are quite lyrical allowing the cello to sing out with all its warm and enticing appeal. An episode (perhaps the trio?) sounds almost like a gigue. Then there are changes in mood, from intense extraversion to intimate and personal. The third movement Allegro is dance-like. One hears snippets of children’s songs, simple and playful, drawing us in to a place where children play together with no regard for the differences between them. Holley is a significant musician and must be appreciated for that. Every piece on this recital program pointed to musical excellence, technical precision and personal commitment. His doctoral thesis and perhaps his life calling was/is to bring attention to the music composed by African-Americans for cello. Stereotypes provide the soil in which prejudice grows, and when they are challenged with a broader perspective of those we think are different from us, the prejudices cannot be maintained. Music speaks to us within the deep soul, and when we are willing to hear what it is saying and follow where it is pointing, we become richer in spirit and more human. Thanks to people who write and perform music that makes it so. Performances by Holley of several of these pieces may be found on YouTube. VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Duke Home Care and Hospice As a musician, Timothy Holley, DMA, has always considered performing for the community to be an act of service. So it isn’t surprising that Tim, an associate professor of music at North Carolina Central University, shares the gift of his cello music each week with patients, families, and staff members at Duke Home Care and Hospice’s Hock Family Pavilion. “Musicians are expected to have the dedication to do three things: perform, practice, and rehearse,” he says.“Playing at the Hock Family Pavilion fits into a fourth category which some people would call ministry.When I play, the music fills the space that it’s occupying just like water fills a container. But unlike water filling a container, the sound of music transforms the space but doesn’t stay there eternally; only the memory of what was played will be there. The music facilitates some unforgettable moments.”Tim, who has dedicated more than 45 years of his life to the cello, shares his gift of music room-to-room at the Hock Family Pavilion. “If it looks like I won’t be disturbing, I’ll sit down and play very quietly,” he says. “I don’t play for too long and I’m very careful not to play anything that’s too intricate or involved.” At the inpatient facility, there is a ritual when a deceased patient is taken out of the building: a bell is rung and all staff members not working directly with a patient or family member line the hallways to pay respect to the deceased. During one such ritual, Tim played the spiritual “Deep River” which was a moving tribute shared by everyone present. Tim says that he opens himself to being profoundly transformed each time he volunteers. “I think that I sometimes get more therapy than the patients,” he says. “As we give, we get much more than we anticipated.” Cello music is just one element of Duke HomeCare and Hospice’s Complementary Therapy Program, which offers non-pharmacological support for patients. “Our focus is on interventions that can be provided by volunteers to bring comfort and to help manage symptoms,” says Carolyn Colsher, DHCH’s Volunteer Supervisor. Pets at Duke brings in teams comprisedof a dog and a handler, also accompanied by a DHCH volunteer, to offer pet therapy. Reiki—a touch therapy—is offered as is hospice massage therapy, which is more gentle traditional massage. Currently, live music is offered at the patient’s bedside by a cellist, a mandolin player, a vocalist, a hammered dulcimer player, and a Native American flutist. In addition, music echoes through the hallways thanks to volunteers who play the piano in the building. “These volunteers bring tremendous comfort byrelaxing and distracting patients,” says Colsher. “Patients are able to enjoy something that was important to them, whether that is classical music or the good memories of their beloved pets.” But patients aren’t the only ones who benefit. The music provided by volunteers often starts conversations among visitors or in family groups. The staff members enjoy having a brief shoulder massage or getting to pet a dog. “Staff will tell me that they are so thrilled to work on Monday evening because that’s when Timothy will be performing with his cello,” says Carolyn. |
AuthorMembers of the North Carolina Cello Society Archives
November 2020
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