Production: Meredith Monk’s “A Celebration Service”
F05
Thomas Bogdan
This spiritually inspired performance piece—created by American composer and pioneer of interdisciplinary performance, Meredith Monk—isn’t purely a music or a theater piece, but uses Monk’s musical and movement compositions, as well as texts from the world’s great religions to create a contemporary ritual celebrating the larger community of mankind and the power of the human spirit. In 2003 instructor Bogdan, longtime member of Monk’s vocal ensemble, received a Fulbright grant to teach the work to a Hungarian ensemble in Budapest. Originally performed by 12 members of Monk’s vocal ensemble, “A Celebration Service” will be performed in Bennington by 22 students and 2 faculty/staff in Greenwall Music Workshop. In addition, 10 students will learn to play mouth harp and to perform the folk-dance section, which will be taught by Allison Easter, a member of Monk’s ensemble. Meredith Monk, herself, will come to Bennington to do workshops and to make the finishing touches on the production.