ESOTERICS
EARTH, WATER, AIR, and FIRE

AIR: at the autumn equinox

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Over the course of this year, The Esoterics celebrated each of the four ancient elements from various vantage points, presenting the sounds and stories of different cultures — weaving music and mythology, science and sociology — to create a broader appreciation of EARTH, WATER, AIR, and FIRE.

During the weekends that surrounded the autumn equinox, The Esoterics performed concerts devoted to AIR in all its forms: breeze and breath, space and sky, inspiration and atmosphere.

With compositions from Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, and the Netherlands, AIR featured Anton Webern's only completed work for unaccompanied voices, Michael Tippett's fabulous madrigal written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, a cycle of Estonian poems sculpted into breathtaking landscapes by Estonia's national composer Veljo Tormis, and Armenian-American John Chorbajian's noble elegy, Autumn.

The Esoterics premiered three works by Northwest composers: Sulfur-crested cockatoos by Portland composer Joseph Waters is based on the bird-songs of the Australian aboriginal Yolngu people; Janice Giteck's Magic words to feel better are taken from a Nakasuk Eskimo text, written in memory of her friend and teacher Darius Milhaud; and Donald Skirvin's festive Delight song of Tsoai-talee, with text by N Scott Momaday.

In addition, the Seattle performances of AIR were accompanied by an exhibit of visual art by D Hake Brinckerhoff, Jennifer dela Cruz, Dionne Haroutunian, Norman Rueter, and Christine Schoener.
These performances were supported in part by a grant from the King County Arts Commission. 

COMPOSER   REPERTOIRE
Michael Tippett Dance, clarion air (1952)
S Wilhelm Killmayer Still in Luft (from Vier Chorstücke] (1989)
Anton Webern Entflieht auf Leichten Kähnen, Op. 2 (1908)
Joseph Waters Sulfur-crested cockatoos (1997)
Janice Giteck Magic words to feel better (1974)
Lajos Bárdos Szeged felol (1937)
Rudolf Escher Sonnet (from Ciel, air et vents) (1957)
Jørgen Jersild Aftenrøden (from Tre korsange) (1971)
John Chorbajian Autumn (1977)
Veljo Tormis Sügismaastikud (1964)
Donald Skirvin Autumn equinox: The delight song
of Tsoai-talee (2000)
     

PERFORMANCE DATES
     
Sat · 16 Sep 2000 · 8 pm
Christ Episcopal Church · 310 N K St · Tacoma

Sun · 17 Sep 2000 · 3 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church · 2301 Hoyt Ave · Everett

Fri · 22 Sep 2000 · 8 pm
Pilgrim Congregational Church

Sat · 23 Sep 2000 · 8 pm
Broadway & East Republican · Seattle