Monday night and it's time for the San Francisco Contemporary Music Player's
30th Anniversary Concert at the Center for the Arts Theatre at Yerba Buena
Gardens.
After taking Caltrain up from Stanford after work, I walked the half-mile
or so up to the Metreon complex, then decided to check out the gardens instead
of grabbing dinner. I soon wandered over to the waterfall, drawn by the light
playing off the water and the sound of the tumbling torrent. Located at the
south end of Yerba Buena Gardens, the roar of the fountain's waterfall drowns
out the drones and squeals of nearby auto traffic while simultaneously sheltering
'Revelations,' a site-specific public art piece installed in October 1993
that memorializes Martin Luther King, Jr.
The work is a collaboration between sculptor Houston Conwill, architect
Joseph De Pace and poet Estella Conwill Majozo. In their words:
"...[it] is a multi-layered memorial placing prominence
on the spoken words of Dr. King, and offering a cultural pilgrimage and contemplative
metaphorical journey of transformation.
A walk behind the waterfall reveals a 'floating bridge' walkway facing 12
additional MLK quotations carved onto glass tablets, signifying the 12 bars
of the traditional blues form. Below each quotation and echoing the 'call
and response' of the blues is a translation in one of the 12 languages spoken
by San Francisco's international sister cities: Sydney, Australia; Manila,
Philippines; Osaka, Japan; Taipei, Taiwan; Seoul, Korea; Shanghai, China;
Haifa, Israel; Thessaloniki, Greece; Assisi, Italy; Cork, Ireland; Abidjan,
Ivory Coast; Caracas, Venezuela; Esteli, Nicaragua; Amman, Jordan; and Durban,
South Africa; although no reference to any one nation is made explicitly.
The translations are ordered according to their geographic sequence from east
to west according to the sun's movement, reading as a journey around the
world.
After the last glass panel, the visitor passes a photograph of Dr. King
delivering his famous
'I Have a Dream' speech. Just before exiting the grotto into the open sunlight
of the park again, a final granite panel combines the sensory experience of
being under a waterfall with Dr. King's bold vision to realize the most powerful
effect yet. The words are taken from his 1963 speech: 'No, we are not satisfied
and we will not be satisfied until 'justice rolls down like water and righteousness
like a mighty stream"
Cool, huh!? Unfortunately, the combination of dim lighting and heavy mist
in the air from the waterfall prevented me from getting decent pictures of
the whole installation...I'll have to try again on another occasion.
Moving over to the Center for the Arts Theatre nearby, it was time for tonight's
show by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP). After a speech
or two to celebrate the 30th Anniversary, we were treated to the following
works: Kui Dong: the Blue Melody (1993); Steven Mackey: Micro-Concerto (1999);
Ellen Harrison: Seven Devilish Pieces (1996); Pablo Ortiz: Raya en el Mar
(2000; world premiere performance).
Like most of my attempts at capturing the moment during a show, tonight's
photographs are pretty atrocious, but there were a few that I felt were salvageable,
especially once turned to more artistic ends, the closeup of percussionist
Ward Spangler (Ward a-Whacking...) is my favorite.
In between sets there was a champagne and cake reception...no wonder Carl
and I are smiling in those photos!
Last (and likely least), I've linked a gloomy pre-concert review (carrying
intellectual baggage into a show is generally an invitation to regret) by SF
Chronicle Music Critic, Alan Ulrich: Players Have Lost The Passion Group marking 30th
year needs a shot of energy. |
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