"Circle Unbroken" spellbinds audience
Review
As part of the Piccolo Spoleto Spotlight series at the New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church, Chamber Music Charleston introduced their spellbinding version of "Circle Unbroken," arranged by bassoonist and manager Sandra Nikolajevs.
It is based on Margot Raven's story of the origin of the sweetgrass basket, the basket woven by local black artists who are the descendants of slaves. Nikolajevs also cobbled together the music from two string quartets by William Grant Still to provide a musical background to the words, narrated by Rachel Dowling, and with slide illustrations by E.B. Lewis.
Perhaps as nod to Nikolajevs, the concert opened with Jean Francaix's short "Divertissement for Bassoon and String Quartet." Nikolajevs mentioned that Francaix was a musical prankster and then she warbled away on her bassoon for ten minutes. Meanwhile the other musicians seemed as if they were playing on another planet.
Antonin Dvorak's "String Quartet in G major," a work rich in Czech folk melody concluded the program. Violinists Megan Allison and Francis Hsieh, violist Katrina Smith, cellist Timothy O'Malley and bass player Edward Allman all demonstrated a complete sense of ensemble. Allison and Smith played a number of soaring melodies with confidence, and O'Malley controlled the movement of the piece.
"Circle Unbroken," the centerpiece of the concert, traces the literal and symbolic history of the sweetgrass basket from 18th century Africa to 21st century Charleston. The baskets were created by Africans and brought to southern America. After passing through plantation slavery and wars, the sweetgrass basket ultimately becomes a symbol of racial harmony in this piece. The general good humor of Still's music softens the more gruesome aspects of the dialogue, making it more palatable to the intended audience. Both Still's music and Lewis' illustrations foreshadow the final happy racial resolution.