Mother of Us All
just out ▼ February 1091 V 15
The collaboration between two of Portland's premier
artists is effective on many levels
by Sandra de Helen
C
oncord Choir under director David
David: We initially got together because I
York will perform a new oratorio was looking for a lyricist. I was at the Metropoli­
with special guest artist Obo Addy tan Arts Commission, speaking with Donna
on African drums. Written by David Mulraney. They happened to have some mate­
York (music) and Judith Barrington rial there regarding “Flight of the Mind,” and it
(libretto) Mother of Us All will take place mentioned
at 8 pm a woman called Carletta. I called
on Friday and Saturday March 1 and Judith,
2 at the she gave the information about Carletta,
Northwest Service Center, 1819 NW Everett.
she also said she would be interested in working
It is a rare treat when lesbian and gay artists with me herself. Then I spoke with Ursula Le
of the stature and renown of Judith Barrington Guin who spoke highly of Judith. One thing led
and David York collaborate to produce such a to another, and we ended up in a joyful and pro­
gift to the community and to the world. Their ductive collaboration! It was not like it was an
full-length oratorio explores the relationship be­ effort, but as if art drew us together. Judith is
tween humans and the natural world. According one of my favorite people now.
to Barrington, the piece progresses in a sequence
of musical styles from the rise of patriarchy and
loss of female deities to the present ecological
crisis.
Concord Choir is a professional chamber
choir dedicated to affirming peace through mu­
sic. Selected to sing at the inauguration of Gov­
ernor Barbara Roberts, the choir will perform in
Estonia, Russia and Finland this summer. They
will participate in “Bridges of Song” an East/
West United Song Festival. For the winter sol­
stice, they performed York’s Return of the Light
at OMSI’s Planetarium — complete with laser
light show.
Judith: I feel like it was an absolute gift. I
David York directed the Portland Gay Men’s couldn’t have done it 10 years ago, which I think
Chorus for eight years, leaving only recently in is a reflection of where we are as a community
order to focus on his own compositions and that a lesbian and gay man could do this together.
Concord Choir.
It is a great gift to be personally ready for it. I
Judith Barrington is the author of Trying to be have to say, there was one most frightening
an Honest Woman and History and Geography. moment. We had no idea yet what the oratorio
The latter work was a finalist for the Oregon would be about... and [David] asked me ‘if I
Book Awards. She is also co-founder of “Flight were to give you a telephone hookup to everyone
of the Mind,” an annual summer writing work­ in the world which provided simultaneous trans­
shop for women. This May, she’ll go to New lation, what is it you would want to say to them?’
York and England to do a reading tour.
Talk about giving someone writer’s block for the
The two artists came together when York next 75 years!
began a search for a poet to write the words for
JO: What were the first words then?
his music. Together they created a music plan,
Judith: I don’t remember exactly... some­
and then embarked on a series of conversations, thing about the loss of the female principal and
which in turn sparked Judith’s writing. When rise of the patriarchy... the loss of the goddess.
her words were complete, David wrote the mu­ As I look back, I see that that [loss of the god­
sic. They started on a grand scale: how to dess] played a role in the breakdown of the
change the world.
planet.
JO: Something about the way you describe
the process sounds almost like channeling.
JO: Why don't you start with discussing the
Judith: What do you mean?
JO:
First you had the conversations, then a
process, and then we'll talk about the product.
Judith: I found the process mystical. We few days later, the first words that were written
would get together for these intense conversa­ had to do with the goddess.
David: There is a version of channeling in all
tions about deep subjects, such as right and
wrong, life and death. Then the words came two fine art. Art is a conduit to universal truth.
Judith: Alice Walker talks about voices
or three days later, seemingly nothing to do with
coming
through her onto the paper.
the conversation.
It was not like it
was an effort,
but as if art drew
us together.
David: I impress upon the choir members to
let the music come through you. Be a receptor
to the moment as much as a creator. What’s
going on in the room contributes to the perform­
ances. I find that I listen to the silence more than
the applause.
Judith: We had a lot in common even
though our art is in different areas. I showed
David the libretto, and his comments were right-
on in picking out the weaknesses. His sensibil­
ity works across the genre.
David: It’s happened the other way around
too. I have to tell you about something that
happened. I had made some changes to the end
of a piece, and was late to rehearsal because I
was running off copies of the new ending. One
of the choir members had started the rehearsal,
and I was able to walk into rehearsal and hear the
music being sung — as if I were the audience. It
was wonderful!
Judith: In one piece, I was able to contrib­
ute to the music too — in a small way. There
was a humorous piece I was working on before
we started the oratorio, but it fit perfectly with
the theme. I had been humming a melody for the
refrain and David picked up that melody and
used it for the piece. So there is some crossover
into each other’s territory.
David: It’s not different for the sake of being
different though. Its uniqueness is its breadth of
harmonic language. It begins with a medieval
quality, moves to a Renaissance piece and even
within the 17th century counterpoint, it becomes
a 20th century piece with consonant resolution.
The first half represents the steady development
of human relations to one another and the envi­
ronment. The first half ends with a rock and roll
song about acid rain. The texture builds and
builds, beginning with the Renaissance piece
with the words ‘who will remember we are all
one?’
Judith: An interesting thing about our col­
laboration is our difference for tolerance of nega­
tive statements. We balanced each other very
well.
David: If you read the libretto, it is a pro­
gression. There is a beautiful piece, the words
are ‘I will bum a candle for the darkness of the
forest. I will lift my head and see the buzzard in
the sky. I will raise my arms and hold the per­
fect blue together. I will remember what lies
beyond the ocean’s clear green eye.’ That’s a
treble voice. Then the bass voice comes and
takes on a more dominating quality. Yet the very
next piece is a hopeful one.
Judith: Things get better in the second half.
David: They-all have a 20th century feel to
them — relentless, steady, then bursts into a
heavy rock and roll (as much as a chamber choir
can sing rock and roll!) The elegy is romantic,
lush, full. It rains during intermission. Then we
return for the second half. This would be a good
time to acknowledge the use of the drum. The
drum represents the voice of the earth. As
people enter during the overture, they interact
with it as they would with a voice. Some are
interested, some are scared, some are indifferent,
some pay attention. Then it is silent throughout
the entire first half. The drum opens the second
half with a few brief hits, there is a prologue
similar to the first half. Then a major drum solo
by Obbo Addy. The choir enters again, sings a
song similar to the Renaissance piece, this time
in a major key. From there it is upswing all the
way to the end. We have hope for a better way.
Judith: People ask me how are you going to
do that? Are you going to tell us how to change
the world?’ I answer them that it give glimpses
into the process of change.
David: Even if we knew the answer to how
we can all live more harmoniously with each
other and the earth, knew the blueprint, it would
be presumptuous to tell them.
Mother of Us All runs one weekend only,
Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, March 1 and 2.
Tickets are available in advance at Artichoke
Music, Classical Millennium and Stiles for Re­
laxation, or at the door (1819 NW Everett).
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