"AROUND THE REQUIEM" — A Film Premiere at Alberta House
On Thursday, November 17, 2022, Resonance Ensemble and Alberta House invite you to celebrate the premiere of the short film, “Around the Requiem,” featuring an intimate conversation with the artists and members of the creative team from last spring’s An African American Requiem.
About the Film: Commissioned by Resonance Ensemble and produced by Oh! Creative, the film was made two days before the world premiere of An African American Requiem. In the film, poet and collaborator Dr. S. Renee Mitchell moderates a conversation with composer Damien Geter; conductor William Eddins; soloists Brandie Sutton, Karmesha Peake, Bernard Holcomb, and Kenneth Overton; and Onry, a baritone from the African American Requiem choir. The group discusses the significance of Geter’s work, their experiences as Black artists in classical music, their struggles, and their joy.
Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, seen here in an episode featuring her “My Requiem Story”
Resonance created a series of videos to support the premiere of An African American Requiem, from the deeply personal My Requiem Story series to their curriculum that has reached hundreds of public school students (and counting!). “Around the Requiem” is the final video of the series.
About the Event: A reception will kick off the event at 6:00 PM, with small bites and a no-host bar, and the screening begins at 6:30 PM. Resonance Ensemble’s Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon and Alberta House’s Artistic Director Vin Shambry will introduce the 40-minute film. After the screening, all are welcome to stay for a conversation with Mitchell, FitzGibbon, and Shambry.
Vin Shambry holds his AAR tickets, which he keeps on his desk to remind him of the experience.
About the Partnership between Resonance Ensemble and Alberta House: Resonance Ensemble is an ensemble in residence at Alberta House, and their missions and histories have a great deal in common. Vin Shambry notes, “My work with Resonance goes back a long time. From performing with them, to collaborating to make the Portland arts community a more radically inclusive place, to being profoundly moved by this spring’s African American Requiem, it is important to me that this group’s voice is heard.”
Shambry continues, “When I saw An African American Requiem last Spring, it moved me to my core. I even keep the tickets on my desk to remind me of that experience. And that’s just one example of why I love Resonance. This superpower of using art to remind us of our soul is the reason I do the work I do at Alberta House and why we are proud partners with Resonance.”
Donations are welcome; all proceeds will benefit future partnership initiatives between Resonance Ensemble and Alberta House. FitzGibbon adds, “We view this as an opportunity to give thanks for our ongoing partnership with Alberta House and our shared missions of creating art that builds community and promotes meaningful change.”
Reception at 6, welcome and premiere at 6:30
To register for the event click here.