Blue Hill, Maine is a very, very special spot on earth. It situates right on the rugged northern Atlantic coast but yet its warm and soft edges of the landscape give it that essential blend of green character. And on these rolling hills that stretch out to the ocean, Franz Kneisel, who then was the founder and Primarius of the Kneisel Quartet, the first professional string quartet in the US, started bringing up his colleagues and students in the summer of 1902, and laid down the roots of chamber music that Kneisel Hall was founded on (Find out more about Kneisel Hall's history).
It's especially remarkable personally, because this is the grounds where I myself have learned to love so much of the great works of chamber music, but moreover, the very place where I've seen friends come here as young artisans, then each find one's own ways of blossoming into an artist of his/her unique voice. It's a spirit that is distinct & teaches one to listen and execute music in such a way that it is the very oxygen that one breathes. Over the years, this very place has become my home in the summers, during the years between turmoil & elation, providing that need of a home base, a place where I can always come back to smell the music that had been aging the wood inside the concert hall.
So stemming from that previous history, it was quite an occasion to bring A Far Cry to Kneisel for a second year. For us, these woods provided the solace that consoled our everyday fears and fortified our convictions in ways that could only be measured in retrospect. We played two sold out concerts to one of the most enthusiastic audiences we've had the pleasure of coming in contact with & took a few more days to work on our internal structure, solidifying our mission.
What is most intriguing however, about the energy that Blue Hill has are: the clear, flaring stars that protrude out of the vast sky, like gem stones that light up a dark cave; the fresh water ponds, which are essentially lakes, that one can dive from its cliffs to cool off on a 90 degree day; the soft shell lobsters that are the meatiest & most delicious of all the creatures that is available to us from the sea.
The week with the Criers has been a memorable time to hone our energies and find ourselves together, experiencing all that is cherished in life as musicians on a small, but precious scale. The 2 people who love us most, Ellen Werner & Seymour Lipkin, the bright beacons of Kneisel Hall, keep bringing us back to be a part of this amazing energy, and we always end up gazing at them in sheer gratitude. Thank you Kneisel Hall & everyone who had come out to hear us in concerts and have given so many wonderful applause & praise in return. The Criers hope to return soon, and no matter what happens, I know I will, even if I can't eat any more lobsters in my young cosmic age.
