AFC presents Circle of Life...under the stars! We are excited to team up with our friends at South Shore Conservatory (SSC) to present a double bill of our season opener, Circle of Life, on Saturday, September 18th at 7pm. Located in Hingham, MA, SSC houses the Jane Carr Amphitheater, a beautiful outdoor performance venue that invites listeners to enjoy the magic of live music under the stars. If you can't make it to Jordan Hall on September 17th, feel more comfortable in an outdoor setting, or simply can't get enough A Far Cry (we can't get enough of you, either!), then this is the concert for you. In-person single tickets will be available starting September 1st. Pack your picnic basket - we hope to see you there!
Please note: Seats in the Pavilion are covered and rain-proof, however, there is no covering for Lawn seats. In the case of cancellation due to severe weather, there will not be a rain date for this concert. Tickets may be exchanged for in-person or digital ticket(s) of similar value to any future A Far Cry concert(s) during the 2021-2022 Season, or donated as a tax-deductible donation. Tickets are non-refundable.
Musical Program
Traditional | Lullabies, arr. Alex Fortes
Béla Bartók | Selections from For Children, arr. Leo Weiner
Franghiz Ali-Zadeh | Shyshtar: Metamorphoses for String Orchestra
Antonín Dvořák | Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22
Karl Doty | Castles
Ludwig van Beethoven | String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135: III. Lento assai e cantante tranquillo, arr. Alex Fortes
Circle of Life embodies the infinite cycles of our humanity as connected beings. Traditional lullabies and selections from Bartók’s For Children open the program with a rustic, characterful nod to childhood curiosities, tenderness, and wonderment. In Shyshtar, the spectacular clash of contrasting musical languages—from Azerbaijani mugham traditional music to the dissonance of modernism—speaks to Ali-Zadeh’s efforts to define herself within the wider world and to the universal human experience. Dvořák’s iconic Serenade for Strings is the heart of the program, having been written at a happy time in his life when Dvořák was basking in his young marriage with a new baby boy and a well-established career. A Far Cry double bassist Karl Doty’s Castles is based on Karl’s experience returning to his childhood home for the first time following the birth of his son. This short, fiddle-inflected tune is sure to fill audiences with joy for all the gifts that new life brings. To close, we shift to the third movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 135 for a moment of quiet introspection.
