The ensemble group Aurea put on a concert Thursday evening in a show featuring a collaboration with composer David Amram, who scored films such as the 1962 version of "The Manchurian Candidate." Held in Grant Recital Hall, the concert included pieces composed by Amram interspersed with readings of works by author Jack Kerouac.
Aurea aims to push the boundaries of musical exploration and unify the humanities and the arts in a way everyone can relate to, according to the group's website. For that reason, Aurea was keen to work with Amram, said Teaching Associate in Music Consuelo Sherba, a founding member and violist in the ensemble.
"(Amram) has a strong connection with Jack Kerouac" Sherba explained, "our group does so much material with spoken word and music that it just seemed like a natural fit."
Amram and Kerouac were friends and collaborators many years ago, according to Amran's website. In a story posted on his website, Amram mentions a time when Kerouac asked him to play music so he could improvise narration to the movie "Pull My Daisy." That same style and improvisation could be seen last Tuesday during the concert, which featured 82-year-old Amram playing a variety of instruments, reading an original poem and interacting with the crowd in between pieces.
Amram's career has been extensive, as can be seen in his biography in the concert's program. He has composed music for orchestral and chamber music works, written music for Broadway and various movies and published three books to date. Besides being a successful composer, Amram also plays the French horn, piano and several dozen flutes and percussion instruments from around the world. During the recital, he entertained the audience with anecdotes about past musical endeavors and reminded audience members of the importance of exploring other avenues.
"I was a history major," Amram said during an interlude in the concert, "and look at what I do now. I highly encourage music majors to take an English class, or English majors to take a music class. It makes us better people."
The concert consisted of several different pieces, including a piano sonata played by visiting musician Gary Chapman, who narrated some of Kerouac's pieces while Amram accompanied him on flute. It also featured violinist and founding member of Aurea Charles Sherba, violist Consuelo and visiting musician Valerie Smalley, who played percussions.
Some of the other pieces played included a Native American Portrait featuring sounds from different tribes, consisting of violin, piano and percussion, and a piece titled "The Wind and the Rain" for viola and piano. Several Kerouac excerpts were read, including "Children of the American Bop Night," "On the Roof of America" and "San Francisco Blues." Amram also read his original poem titled "The Woman in a Black Beret."
This is not the first time Amram has collaborated with Brown, Sherba said. He came to campus a few years back when Aurea performed a collection of his works interspersed with Shakespeare and Kerouac readings. But this time was different, she said, because Amran was able to speak during the program and interact with the audience more than he usually does.
"We decided to incorporate (Amram) into the show because he's a one of a kind guy, and has such a neat perspective on the world," Sherba said.
