Concert Program
World Music Festival Concert Series
Sounds of Crossing Borders Part Two
Arcomusical: the berimbau in motion
Friday, April 10, 2026
8 pm
Recital Hall
Program
| Berimbau Duo no. 5, ‘Alexis’ (2013) | Gregory Beyer (b. 1973) |
|
John Wolff and Gregory Beyer, berimbaus |
|
| Conceived in the Spring of 2013 but not truly composed until later that summer, my Berimbau Duo no. 5 is dedicated to my student, Alexis Lamb. It was inspired by a duo improvisation that Alexis and I played together in the Spring of 2013 during the course of our first semester of work together for Projeto Arcomusical. The gentle introduction of unpitched sounds under a simple hocketed melody in part A eventually becomes the only remaining texture in the second section. The third section of the work re-examines the original melody, adding additional pitches to build up the texture. The final section re-introduces the unpitched materials against a four-chord progression that speeds up excitedly to the end of the piece. | |
| As cores do céu (2026) | Gregory Beyer (b. 1973) |
|
Evan Miller, berimbau |
|
| As cores do céu (Portuguese, “the colors of the sky”) places the single-stringed Afro-Brazilian berimbau musical bow as an “inner voice” within a percussion ensemble context. The work is dedicated to my good friends John Himmelfarb and his wife Molly Day. In fact, the piece’s title is named after Mr. Himmelfarb. This work is intended as a possible second movement to my 2020 composition, Fios e linhas. The two pieces share a nearly identical instrumentation, although the berimbau tuning is slightly wider (M3 instead of m3) and the glockenspiel player needs an additional instrument: the cajón. This addition was inspired by Sympatico Percussion’s Joseph Krygier and his uniquely virtuosic improvisational skill. And whereas Fios e linhas which features a virtuosic duo between vibraphone and berimbau, As Cores do céu features virtuosic rhythmic trading between cajón and berimbau, inspired by great Cuban rumba ensembles such as Los muñequitos de Matanzas. Although there are no direct melodic or harmonic quotes in this piece, the sophisticated and lush harmonic language of Pat Metheny’s compositions is never far away from my mind and the way I hear music. I am deeply grateful to Doug Bratt at Moraine Valley Community College for commissioning this new piece. | |
| Cantifractus Psalmodicus (2025) | David M. Gordon (b. 1976) |
|
Arcomusical is: |
|
|
David M. Gordon’s compositional voice is a bona fide product of the NIU School of Music’s outstanding world music program. Gordon’s compositions reflect his deep roots at NIU and feature a rich, sophisticated approach to both rhythm and melody that is steeped in the interconnected mathematics of microtonality and irrational meter. Gordon studied gamelan under Dr. Han in the 1990’s and he credits this exposure as the origin of his uniquely complex approach to composing music. Cantifractus Psalmodicus features a narrow and microtonally tuned berimbau quartet, the entire range of which doesn’t stretch beyond a single octave. The four musicians work in consort to create an oddly loping singular microtonal melodic line that ultimately becomes just one voice amidst a great sea of instruments found the world over. In his pre-recorded track against which the quartet performs, Gordon conjures a veritable orchestra comprised of a myriad ancient and contemporary world music instruments: gamelan gongs, hurdy-gurdy, banjo, bukkehorn, thai gongs, tin-can cymbalum, çifteli, warty dulcitone, low music box, large cans, gamelan sarons, gamelan slentem, toy piano, high music box, mandriola, dulcimer, harpsichord, bagpipes, church bells. Sit back and allow Gordon’s uncanny, virtual twenty-member orchestra carry your imagination into uncharted territory in this uniquely evocative music. – Gregory Beyer, Artistic Director, Arcomusical |
|