presented by Little Chamber Music and
The Polygon Gallery
Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima
A One-Time Virtual Concert Event
Thursday, August 6, 2020, 7pm
Videos of the event can be viewed here: Human Shadow Etched in Stone
At 8:15am on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was detonated over Hiroshima, causing the deaths of over 100,000 people and bringing the world into the Nuclear Era. At 8:15am on August 6, 2020, 42 string players will gather in The Polygon Gallery’s Seaspan Pavilion to mark the 75th anniversary with a rare performance of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima along with three new commissions that reflect on this world changing event from Jordan Nobles, Rita Ueda and Robyn Jacob. The performance will be captured for a streaming concert event at 7pm the same day, August 6, available to watch through our Facebook and YouTube channels.
Conducted by Janna Sailor, a rising star in Canada and Founder/Artistic Director of the Allegra Chamber Orchestra (Canada’s only all-female professional orchestra), Human Shadow Etched in Stone will feature a collection of Vancouver’s finest musicians, masked and properly spaced as this moment in time demands. The program continues Little Chamber’s strong history of creating musical events that both commemorate important events and stand as their own artistic statement. Penderecki’s Threnody is a landmark work of the 20th century, JUNO winner Jordan Nobles is known for the beauty and fragility of his music, Rita Ueda, winner of the 2014 Penderecki Prize, is one of Vancouver’s most accomplished composers, and emerging composer Robyn Jacob, best known for her band Only a Visitor, creates music that bridges the past and the voice of the millennial generation.
Acclaimed filmmaker John Bolton of Opus 59 Films will be producing and directing the virtual concert. With the talents of Director of Photography Vince Arvidson and Audio Engineer Will Howie, Human Shadow Etched in Stone promises to be a virtual concert of the highest possible calibre, capturing this incredible event for the Covid era.
Little Chamber Music emerged as a leader during the first stage of the pandemic with the massively successful Isolation Commissions, which saw $30,000 donated and redirected to performing artists and has generated over 55,000 YouTube views. As we enter phase 3 Little Chamber Music is again leading our community forward by creating an event where a significant number of musicians can gather to create a meaningful commemorative concert.
The Polygon Gallery is a public art gallery in North Vancouver that presents exhibitions of contemporary art and photography from across the world. This concert is part of the Gallery’s ongoing series of music performances featuring composers of experimental music. In recent years music events have included works by John Cage, Edzi’u, Morton Feldman, and Post Commodity/Raven Chacon. This collaboration with Little Chamber Music extends The Polygon’s commitment to building partnerships with local arts organisations and supporting local artists. This event is optimised for easy and free accessibility to many audiences, both through online viewing and live listening outside the gallery site during its performance.
