CAS to Premier Newly Composed “Digital World” at Annual Holiday Recital

2012 CSA Holiday Recital – photo provided by by Aileen Rohwer

If you are having trouble getting into the Christmas mood, we have the cure! Cultural Arts Strings is holding their second annual holiday recital on Tuesday, November 26th at 4:30pm, at the Manchester United Methodist Church. There is no admission fee.

Over twenty young performers ranging in age from 5 to 10 years old will play classical, folk and contemporary solos and group pieces, including popular Christmas tunes. The recital will last about 35 minutes.

The most advanced players, who go by “The Dutch Five”, will be premiering a work called Digital World, by a contemporary composer, Geoffrey Hudson. It was composed using only open strings (or 0’s and 1’s), based on the binary method of computer programming.

Aileen Rohwer, director of CAS, explained that the kids became involved in this project this summer after entering an online contest through a website, Quartetville, that promotes chamber music.

According the website, the goal of the project is to “create a significant addition to the string quartet literature by introducing contemporary music into the repertoire of musicians of all ages.”  After creating new works, composer Hudson allowed young groups around the country to work on the pieces and then upload videos of  their progress for the possibility of working under the guidance of professional musicians.

Rohwer states, “The kids were exposed to this once in a lifetime opportunity to not only learn a brand new piece of music, but to also get to work with a professional chamber musician.”

After submitting their video, The Dutch Five were chosen to workshop and premier the new piece of music and were contacted by violinist Colin Jacobsen of the Brooklyn Rider Quartet to receive coaching over skype. Jacobsen was in the area this weekend and played with Bela Fleck on Sunday at UMS in Ann Arbor.

A current CAS student performing at a recital last Spring – photo provided by Aileen Rohwer

CAS provides string music education including violin, viola, cello bass for children ages 5-13 in Manchester, integrating fiddling, classical, and jazz styles of music. Options include weekly group lessons, private lessons and a 2-week summer day camp in June. Their winter/spring semester will start in January. Need based scholarships and sibling discounts are available.

If you would like to support their mission of providing string music education for the youth of Manchester, please consider attending or hosting a benefit concert in your home. The next Benefit Concert will take place on January 3rd, at 7pm at The Blacksmith Shop.

Visit www.culturalartstrings.org or email aileen@culturalartstrings.org for more information about CAS.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.