Irish Ghetto from Quilted Rhythms (1997)
for Bodhran, violin, mandolin, accordion, double bass, percussion, and voice
Duration : approx. 15'
Premiered April, 1997. Clark Studio Theater, Lincoln Center, New York, NY.
Choreographed by Bradon MacDonald.
This is a very odd piece that I wrote for a student choreographer while I was at Juilliard. At the time, it was my longest continuous work, and it incorporated everything from mandolin and accordion to tap dance. (Yes, tap dance. There was an extended tap section, with all sorts of mixed-metered rhythms performed by a trio of tap dancers. It was more effective live than this description would indicate...) Of that 15 minutes, the only part I still like is the finale, later re-choreographed by Robert Battle and called "Irish Ghetto." The music, in retrospect, is a little funny...