|
As Bucknell moves toward the coming millennium, we are
encouraged to focus more attention on the interconnectedness
of the rich diversity of cultural traditions and natural
life forms of the Earth. A living symbol of these, both
on the beautiful Bucknell campus and along the banks
of our neighbor, the Susquehanna River, is the tree,
a great symbol of our roots, our branching potential,
and the cornucopia of life. To celebrate the Earth,
its life-forms, and its various cultural representations,
Bucknell hosted distinguished musician and spokesperson
for the natural world and its inhabitants, Paul Winter,
in the world premiere performance of his new work, The
World Tree. With his new ensemble, The Earth Band,
Winter presented his music in a unique performing context.
For the past three decades, saxophonist Winter and
his various ensembles have traveled the world, performing
more than 2,500 concerts in thirty-five countries, exploring
wilderness areas in six continents, and recording thirty-five
albums, some of them in natural acoustic settings like
the Grand Canyon and Siberia’s Lake Baikal. As
artists-in-residence of the world’s largest Gothic
cathedral, New York’s St. John the Divine, Winter
and his consort have presented approximately 100 events
during the past twenty years, including the annual Winter
and Summer Solstice celebrations, the renowned Missa
Gaia (Earth Mass), and the Carnival for the Rainforest.
Winter’s musical realm has long embraced the traditions
of many of the world’s cultures, interweaving diverse
instruments and musical genres with remarkable voices
from what he calls “the greater symphony of the
Earth,” including those of wolves, whales, eagles,
and many other species of “wilderness musicians.”
Out of his wealth of experience as a composer, band
leader, recording artist, and concert performer, Winter
has created his new work, The World Tree, which
stands as a celebration of the creatures and cultures
of the entire Earth. The World Tree is a universal
mythic image common to many cultures, symbolizing the
diversity and interdependence of the entire community
of life.
Integral to the experience of The World Tree
was a new performance environment created on the floor
of Davis Gym. The musicians surrounded audience members
who were invited to chant and to move with the music
at various points in the event. The audience was encircled
by a ring of ten small stages, on which various players
of Winter’s new Earth Band, including soprano sax,
Uilleann pipes (Irish bag-pipes), cello, bansuri (South
Indian flute), and several percussionists, played instruments
from African, Brazilian, Middle Eastern and other traditions
of the world. In the center was a circular stage with
a twenty-foot musical World Tree, comprised of bells,
gongs, and chimes. The spaces between the central stage
and the outer ring of stages was open and the audience
members were invited to inhabit any part of this space
to listen, move, and give voice at appropriate times.
The bleachers on either side of the gym were also available
for people who preferred to sit through the performance.
Winter has envisioned this kind of performing context
for many years. “As much as I have loved, and still
love, playing in concert halls,” he says, “I
often have felt they create a kind of ‘us and them’
dichotomy between the performers and the audience. I
would like to offer people a much deeper participatory
experience of music. So my dream has been to create
events in which everyone takes part, so that we are
all us.”
In recognition of his musical innovations and environmental
work, Winter has received numerous honors over the years,
including a Global 500 Award from the United Nations,
the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Environment
Program, the Joseph Wood Krutch Medal from the United
States Humane Society, the National Arbor Day’s
promise to the Earth Award, and the Alumni Merit Award
from his alma mater, Northwestern University. A native
of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Winter also has received a
Gold Medal from Pennsylvania State University, an honorary
doctorate from Juniata College, and in 1996, Governor
Tom Ridge presented Winter with the Pennsylvania Governor’s
Award for the Arts. Three of Winter’s albums have
won Grammy Awards, and ten have received Grammy nominations.
The World Tree was another milestone in Winter’s
musical journey. Winter welcomed student participation
at the event and, and following his morning performance,
he spent the entire day at Bucknell visiting with students
and sharing his insights about music and his work with
the Earth music.
For more information see Paul
Winter's Music website.
|
