{"id":35674,"date":"2020-10-01T09:36:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T13:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=35674"},"modified":"2020-10-01T09:36:40","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T13:36:40","slug":"on-stage-the-crossing-finds-a-safe-way-to-perform-together-at-bowmans-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=35674","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: The Crossing finds a safe way to perform together at Bowman’s Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Crossing<\/p><\/div>\n

If you go to Bowman\u2019s Hill Wildflower Preserve\u00a0in New Hope this weekend, you just might hear trees sing \u2013 although you\u2019re more likely to hear singing by a choir. But if you tune in spiritually, you probably will be able to hear both human and arboreal singing.<\/p>\n

On\u00a0October 3 and 4, GRAMMY-winning new-music choir\u00a0The Crossing,\u00a0led by\u00a0Donald Nally,\u00a0will present a unique, socially distant, live performance titled\u00a0\u201cThe Forest\u201d at Bowman\u2019s Hill.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of COVID-19, we can\u2019t actually sing in a conventional way,\u201d said Nally, during a phone interview Wednesday morning. \u201cSinging in an enclosed space has proven to be unsafe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought, \u2018How can we make art\u2014make work and art for our singers?\u2019 We came up with the idea of singing outside for people.\u201d <\/p>\n

In a time when choirs cannot sing and perform together in conventional ways,\u00a0\u201cThe Forest\u201d\u00a0features the 24 singers of The Crossing performing along a trail at\u00a0Bowman\u2019s Hill Wildflower Preserve\u00a0— situated in the sounds and sights of the woods while audience members walk, socially distanced, through the soundscape and landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have six-foot pillar speakers right on the path where singers are 25-30 feet off the path and 40 feet apart,\u201d said Nally. \u201cThey can be intimate and whisper softly. Listeners can walk the path, which is .3 miles, in 20-25 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the guidance of in-house sound designer\u00a0Paul Vazquez,\u00a0\u201cThe Crossing\u201d has developed a new amplification system,\u00a0Echoes,\u00a0to present\u00a0\u201cThe Forest\u201d in accordance with social distancing guidelines. Echoes allows singers to stand and safely sing 30 feet from each other and from the audience while listeners walk along a well-worn, mostly flat path of approximately one-third mile lined with speakers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bowman’s Hill<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe Forest\u201d focuses on the symbiotic relationship between individual trees and the forest — a metaphor for the relationship between each singer and the ensemble. The libretto is formed from The Crossing singers\u2019 reflections on their isolation during COVID-Time, overlaid with texts from Scott Russell Sanders\u2019 essay\u00a0\u201cMind in the Forest.\u201d\u00a0The music has been developed by conductor\u00a0Donald Nally\u00a0and assistant conductor\u00a0Kevin Vondrak.<\/p>\n

Though the work captures the isolation of singers during the pandemic, Echoes paradoxically allows the experience to be intimate and personal. The 20-minute, intimate experience attempts to reestablish those currently-broken relationships between singers and audience members, and tells The Crossing\u2019s story — a story of a planet in crisis, its people and its forests in peril, and a story of hope and a way forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to do pieces that are really personal,\u201d said Nally. \u201cThe thing that we\u2019ve been missing is connection. We\u2019re trying to create a scenario where connection is evidenced, and we decided on Bowman\u2019s Hill. The piece is a metaphor for what happens between a single tree and the forest \u2013 how they relate to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nally made reference to the book, \u201cThe Secret Life of Trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin Tudge\u2019s\u00a0\u201cThe Secret Life of Trees: How they Live and Why they Matter\u201d\u00a0explores the hidden role of trees in our everyday lives — and how our future survival depends on them. Tudge travels around the world to explore the beauty, variety and ingenuity of trees everywhere — from how they live so long to how they talk to each other and why they came to exist in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrees communicate with each other,\u201d said Nally. \u201cThey protect their young. This whole piece is a big metaphor for this relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been working on this for a while. Once we decided that we\u2019d do all this, we ordered the equipment in July. It\u2019s been months in the making. We\u2019ve had Zoom time with our singers. We met in late March and developed the protocol. We have to do it one at a time and overlay it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the forest, everyone has their own musical event. There are 24 singers and their speakers. The speakers are independent and have 12-hour batteries. As you walk through, a harmonic cloud develops. There are patterns and notes change as you move through the piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Crossing\u00a0is a Grammy-winning professional chamber choir conducted by Donald Nally and dedicated to new music. It is committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir, and listening to music for choir. Many of its nearly 110 commissioned premieres address social, environmental, and political issues.<\/p>\n

The Crossing collaborates with some of the world\u2019s most accomplished ensembles and artists, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, Network for New Music, Lyric Fest, Piffaro, Beth Morrison Projects, Allora & Calzadilla, Bang on a Can, Klockriketeatern, and the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).<\/p>\n

With a commitment to recording its commissions, The Crossing has issued 21 releases, receiving two Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance (2018, 2019), and five Grammy nominations. The Crossing, with Donald Nally, was the American Composers Forum\u2019s 2017 Champion of New Music. They were the recipients of the 2015 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, three ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, and the Dale Warland Singers Commission Award from Chorus America.<\/p>\n

Recently, The Crossing has expanded its choral presentation to film, working with Four\/Ten Media, in-house sound designer Paul Vazquez of Digital Mission Audio Services, visual artists Brett Snodgrass and Steven Bradshaw, and composers David Lang and Michael Gordon on live and animated versions of new and existing works.<\/p>\n

Bowman\u2019s Hill Wildflower Preserve,\u00a0founded in 1934, is the nation\u2019s only living botanical museum specifically devoted to native plants –including 134 acres of diverse habitat on 4.5 miles of trails.<\/p>\n

Located at 1635 River Road in New Hope, Bowman\u2019s Hill Wildflower Preserve inspires the appreciation and use of native plants by serving as a sanctuary and an educational resource for conservation and stewardship.<\/p>\n

Autumn at Bowman\u2019s Hill brings glorious trees and shrubs with brilliant foliage and fruit. Some of the October blooms are Goldenrod, Closed Gentian, White Snakeroot, New England Aster, Frost Aster and Blue Root Aster.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Forest\u201d experience is available by reservation only, entering at timed intervals in family pods (1-4 people), with two-minute buffers between each group. Pods walk along a prescribed trail, in a loop that does not require them to double back across other audience members or singers. Comfortable shoes appropriate to hiking or long walks are required.<\/p>\n

The event will be held October 3 and 4 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. each day with a rain date listed for October 5. \u00a0For more information, visit https:\/\/thecrossing.ticketleap.com\/the-forest\/details<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Timed entry requires audience members to arrive 10 minutes prior to the entry time. Upon arrival, staff will check-in, and the audience will queue for staggered entry into the piece. In order to maintain safe distancing, late arrivals cannot be guaranteed entry. Masks must be worn at all times.<\/p>\n

The work is 20-25 minutes long and visitors are welcome to enjoy The Pond area of the preserve afterward. This performance is outside, along a well-worn, mostly flat path of approximately .3 mile. An additional walk of .4 mile along a paved path is required to return to parking.<\/p>\n

Video link for The Crossing — https:\/\/youtu.be\/bAV-mAmQl7s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Candlelight\u00a0Dinner Theatre\u00a0(2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) has found a way to have outdoor concerts on the theater\u2019s grounds in a way that audiences could feel safe from the threat of exposure to COVID-19.<\/p>\n

The theater\u2019s \u201cSummer Nights Outdoors at Candlelight\u201d series which kicked off in July with an acoustic show performed outside of the\u00a0Candlelight\u00a0Theatre by Joe Trainor and Brendan Sheehan of the popular local band Beatlefest and then followed with a show in August featuring Lyric Drive.<\/p>\n

The next installment in the series will feature a return visit from Lyric Drive. On October 4, the Candlelight Theatre will host the popular Delaware-based band in an encore matinee performance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lyric Drive<\/p><\/div>\n

Lyric Drive is an acoustic\/electric cover band from Wilmington. The band plays cover songs from artists such as Eric Clapton, Jamiroquai, Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Steely Dan, Grateful Dead and Dispatch. Lyric Drive plays all over the First State at venues such as the Lighthouse in Dewey Beach and Catherine Rooney\u2019s in Wilmington<\/p>\n

Lyric Drive is a quintet anchored by the Stewart brothers \u2013 Ted on acoustic guitar and vocals and Andrew (a.k.a. \u201cStew\u201d) on vocals. The band also features Brad Newsome on electric guitar and vocals, Pete Wiedmann on bass and Tim Kelly on percussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother and I have been doing this since we were teenagers,\u201d said \u201cStew\u201d Stewart, during a phone interview Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n

That puts the group\u2019s longevity at more than two decades as Stew is 38 and Ted is 40. The other three band members are in their late 40s.<\/p>\n

\u201cTim has been with us since the mid-2000s and Pete joined a few years later,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cBrad was the last one to join.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started when Ted and I were doing an open mic at Annie\u2019s wings to Go in Wilmington\u2019s Little Italy. Tim heard us play and asked to join us onstage. We played a few songs together that night and that was it. We\u2019ve played together ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cTim is best friends with Pete and they both play together in the band Love Seed Mama Jump. Pete booked us a gig at the beach. After that, we started playing gigs every Sunday at the Pond in Rehoboth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe five of us played together for the first time when a guy booked us to play a wedding in 2014. We pulled off a wedding with no rehearsal together. It worked good so we said \u2013 we\u2019ve got to keep doing this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Stewarts\u2019 love for English rock bands happened naturally back in the 90s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went to high school in London,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cOur dad worked for DuPont and was transferred to England. We lived in Hampstead for five years. I was drinking beer in pubs when I was still in high school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hampstead is an area in north London about four miles northwest of Charing Cross. It is also about five miles from Highbury, the former home stadium of one of England\u2019s top soccer teams \u2013 Arsenal F.C. (a.k.a. the Gunners). Not surprisingly, Stewart is a big fan of the Gunners (as is the Kinks\u2019 Dave Davies and Sex Pistols\/PIL vocalist Johnny Rotten\/John Lydon).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still a big fan of Arsenal,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cWhen we moved to London, all my friends were Gunners\u2019 fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart also maintains a love of beer. In his day job, he runs a beer distributing company.<\/p>\n

And he maintains a love of playing live music \u2013 something that has been severely challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore COVID hit, we were playing every weekend \u2013 two times a weekend,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cBy the end of January, we had our whole summer booked \u2013 especially with a lot of shows atSchaefer\u2019s Canal House\u00a0in Chesapeake City, Maryland.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost all the indoor stuff got cancelled. Schaefer\u2019s Canal House\u00a0cancelled the whole summer even though they had the space. We did play a few outdoor shows like Frank\u2019s Wines in Wilmington.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also did some livestream shows. We did a Fathers\u2019 Day livestream at Candlelight with no-one there. It seemed to get a lot of views. We also played a livestream show for the Arden Fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

On September 10, Lyric Drive returned to the Candlelight Theatre for a \u201cSummer Nights Outdoors at Candlelight\u201d show.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sold out that show,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cIt was really good. But there wasn\u2019t a lot of dancing because everybody had to stay seated. Still, it was nice to hear applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a wide variety of songs we can play going back to songs from the 60\u2019s. We play a lot of songs that we like. It just so happens that audiences like these songs too. We\u2019ve been playing songs from the 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s and then the 80\u2019s crept in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyric Drive plays covers of good, tight pop tunes from the classic rock era and later and that means Stewart can\u2019t play any of his favorite band\u2019s tunes.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhish is my favorite band,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cI like the Dead but I love Phish. I\u2019ve seen them play more than any other band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Right now, there are no Phish shows but there are Lyric Drive shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an outdoor gig on October 9 at Dew Point Brewing Company in Yorklyn (Delaware),\u201d said Stewart. \u201cAnd we have the gig at the Candlelight this Sunday. The Candlelight is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tickets for Sunday\u2019s show are $20 per person — with different seating options. There are limited tables available for groups of 5-8 people, but any party that is four or less will have spaces marked out in the parking lot where it can set up lawn chairs to enjoy the show.<\/p>\n

Food (Mashburg by Wildwich) and beverages will be available for purchase and a bar is available for those 21 years of age and older.<\/p>\n

Information and Safety Guidelines \u2013<\/p>\n

Masks:
\n– Required at all times when not seated
\n– Encouraged while seated, unless eating or drinking
\n– Staff will be masked
\n– Hand sanitizer will be provided
\nParking:
\n– There will be limited parking available in the lot, overflow parking will be at Ivy Gables.
\nPathways \/ Restrooms \/ Accessibility:
\n– You will need to walk up a small hill \/ incline to use the restroom.
\n– Restrooms will be indoors and will be monitored \/ cleaned by a volunteer.
\n– A pathway will be marked out, following all of the parking spaces closest to the\u00a0theater. The pathway will be 16 feet wide and will be marked with directions.
\n– There will be a 16-foot buffer area between the band and patrons to provide safe spacing for all involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur capacity for the event is approximately 120 people,\u201d said Candlelight Theatre Operations Manager Dan Healy. \u201cWe can safely do 150 with social distancing if we move the parking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe spacing is at least six feet if not eight feet and the tables, which are for parties of five-to-eight, are 10 feet apart. And the stage is more than 20 feet away from the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other shows in the \u201cSummer Nights Outdoors at Candlelight\u201d series feature Mason Dixon on October 10, and Vanessa Collier on October 24.<\/p>\n

Video link for Lyric Drive — https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/120290714738449\/videos\/3076786492398000\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While the weather is still nice, you can enjoy some low-key, outdoor, socially distanced shows at a variety of local venues.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Zeek Burse<\/p><\/div>\n

People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern,\u00a0peopleslight.org<\/a>) is hosting its \u201cPeople\u2019s Light Drive-In Concert Series\u201d with Zeek Burse on October 4, Stella Ruze on October 11 and 49 Burning Condors on October 18.<\/p>\n

The Zeek Burse concert on October 4 will be recorded live. You can preorder the limited release of\u00a0\u201cZeek Burse Live at People\u2019s Light\u201d\u00a0for $25. CD proceeds benefit the Black Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia (BTAP), a coalition committed to supporting and uplifting the Black theatre artists in the Greater Philadelphia area while challenging and encouraging the Greater Philadelphia theatre community to be more proactive in their commitment to equity and equality. Learn more at\u00a0blacktheatrephiladelphia.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cedar Hollow Inn Restaurant and Bar<\/a> (2455 Yellow Springs Road, Malvern, www.cedarhollowinn.com<\/a>) will present Bill Hake on October 2, Late April on October 9, Sunshine Jones on October 10, Matt Sevier on October 17, Kendal Conrad on October 22, Nicki Sbaffoni on October 23 and Jerry Watkins on October 29.<\/p>\n

Stable 12 Brewing Company\u00a0(368 Bridge St, Phoenixville, stable12.com<\/a>) will host Hake and Jarema on October 9, Kendal Conrad on October 23, and Rick McSteve on October 24.<\/p>\n

Penns Woods Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, www.pennswoodswinery.com<\/a>) will present Amanda & Teddy on October 3, Nicole Zell on October 10, Greg Jones on October 11, Adam McCue on October 17, Paul Wilkinson on October 18, Jason Ager on October 24, Jeff Kessler on October 25, and Hanna Paige on October 31.<\/p>\n

The Bordley House (1520 Tattersal Way, West Chester, www.bordleyhousegrille.com<\/a>) will host Adam McCue on October 5, Bryan McDermott on October 19, and Ziggy Isaacs on October 26.<\/p>\n

Tuned Up Brewing Co. (135 North Main Street, Spring City, www.tunedupbrew.com<\/a>) will present Mike Kropp on October 3, Bill Ferreri on October 9, Clint & Mr. Mody on October 16 and Mr. Mody on October 23.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times If you go to Bowman\u2019s Hill Wildflower Preserve\u00a0in New Hope this weekend, you just might hear trees sing \u2013 although you\u2019re more likely to hear singing by a choir. But if you tune in spiritually, you probably will be able to hear both human and arboreal singing. On\u00a0October […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[12430,6518,12431,12429,12432],"class_list":["post-35674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-bowmans-hill","tag-featured","tag-lyric-drive","tag-the-crossing","tag-zeek-burse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35674"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35675,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35674\/revisions\/35675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}