The Orchestra Now Free Concert
Thursday, September 19 | 7PM
// FREE //
Bard College’s The Orchestra Now performs two masterworks in the unparalleled acoustics of Basilica Hudson, including Benjamin Britten‘s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Please join us for this very special, up-close encounter with a full symphony orchestra.
PROGRAM
Felix Mendelssohn: Ouverture Meeresstille unde Glückliche Fahrt
Benjamin Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA NOW
The Orchestra Now (TŌN) is a group of vibrant young musicians from across the globe who are making orchestral music relevant to 21st-century audiences by sharing their unique personal insights in a welcoming environment. Hand-picked from the world’s leading conservatories—including The Juilliard School, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and the Curtis Institute of Music—the members of TŌN are enlightening curious minds by giving on-stage introductions and demonstrations, writing concert notes from the musicians’ perspective, and having one-on-one discussions with patrons during intermissions.
IMAGE CREDIT: The Orchestra Now (TŌN) at Basilica SoundScape 2018 by Samantha Marble for the Creative Independent
FREE Screening: RIGGED
The Voter Suppression Playbook
Thursday, October 3 | 7PM
// FREE //
Presented by Indivisible Columbia NY
The 2018 mid-terms were the best of times and – yes – the worst of times when it came to voter suppression and reclaiming our democracy. In many states, citizen groups rallied to put American citizens back on the voter rolls – as Amendment 4 did in Florida, giving the franchise to over a million felons.
Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook With Jeffrey Wright Trailer from Redux Pictures on Vimeo.
In Michigan and 3 other states, initiatives to stop partisan re-districting, aka, gerrymandering, passed. And the voters of Kansas, one of the reddest of red state, rejected one of the biggest opponents of voting rights, Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach, who failed in his bid to become governor.
But in North Carolina, voters passed a new Photo Voter ID law, circumventing (for now) a 2016 Federal Court decision rejecting that state’s former voter ID law. And false claims of voter fraud reared their ugly head again in Florida’s razor thin gubernatorial and US Senate elections. And there were legitimate concerns about voter suppression in Georgia’s election results in 2018 – with the candidate for governor (and now governor), Brian Kemp, in his role of Secretary of State, accused of wrongly purging over a million citizens from the voter rolls. And hanging over it all were more Trump Tweets and complaints about voter fraud and rigged elections.
So, sadly, the beat goes on.
In light of what we saw in 2018 and in 2016, what can American citizens do as individuals to reclaim our democracy?
Rigged explores and examines the voter suppression plays that were used to suppress the vote from 2010 forward and counters each play with steps audiences can take to restore the legitimacy of our democracy and its central tenet: one person, one vote.
ABOUT INDIVISIBLE COLUMBIA NY
In Columbia County, in the 19th Congressional District, hundreds of citizens are following the efforts of Indivisible Columbia NY (ICNY), a chapter of the grassroots movement based on the principles outlined in the Indivisible Guide. ICNY is working with their fellow Indivisible chapters and other resistance groups throughout the district, pressuring our members of Congress to uphold the democratic ideals upon which our nation was founded.
Arctic Drone: Iceland
October 19 and 20, 2019
24 HR DRONE \\\/// 6 HR YOGA
Our DRONE dreams continue their international journey this October, heading to Iceland for a seamless 24-hour sound and yoga event curated by Melissa Auf Der Maur, Nathan Larson and Bardi Johannsson.
ARCTIC DRONE is an immersive art event and all-encompassing experience, inspired by international series, featuring musicians and sound artists experimenting within the spectrum of drone to create 24 hours of unbroken, uninterrupted sound with sustained tones shaped by voice or instrumentation, transcend time, genre and music itself. This is a shared experience devoted to unifying players and listeners alike.
It has appeared in traditional folk music around the world for thousands of years. Tibetan Buddhists use tonal chanting while Celtic and Middle Eastern countries play the bagpipes. Indian music is drone featuring instruments such as the sitar and tanura. The word “drone” is derived from the old English “drane”, which means “to hover” like a hummingbird or a bee
Performances by Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins), Julianna Barwick, Nathan Larson (A camp), Atli Örvarsson, Ólöf Arnalds, Skúli Sverrisson, Bardi Johannsson (Bang Gang), Sin Fang, JFDR (Samaris), IamHelgi (Úlfur Úlfur), Borgar Magnason, Ingibjorg Stefansdottir, Dísa, Kjartan Holm, Rauður, Arnbjörg Kristín, Rafnar, Taranga.
Yoga session by Yoga Shala
Art event will be at Fosshotel Húsavík from 10 am October 19 to 10 am October 20 (24 hours).
Yoga by Yoga Shala in the concert hall:
October 19 | 12PM – 6PM
October 20 | 10AM – 12PM
No tickets are sold to the art event. It is free for hotel and buffet guests at Fosshotel Húsavík.
Hotel price list:
Double room with breakfast and buffet – 26.900 ISK.
Single room with breakfast and buffet – 19.400 ISK.
Buffet only – 4.900 ISK.
In cooperation with AVA aldinvatn, Íslandshótel, Flugfélagið Ernir, Basilica Hudson, Lumen Project, Yoga Shala, Geo Sea, North Sailing, Visit North Iceland, Visit Húsavík, Bílaleiga Akureyrar
ARCTIC DRONE is inspired by the 24 HR DRONE and its International Satellite Program. A partnership between Basilica Hudson, LUMEN PROJECT, LE GUESS WHO? and a small collective of musicians and organizations committed to expanding the mission of 24-HOUR DRONE internationally, to deepen our connection with faraway devotees of art and experimentation.
Húsavík is a natural pearl in the north of Iceland, also known as the ‘Whale Watching Capital’. Surrounded by breath-taking nature guests can soak into mineral rich geothermal water at GeoSea sea bath, go on a whale watching tour, visit several museums or hike on the many walkways around town. Húsavík is also the start and ending point of the famous Diamond Circle. In winter sparkling northern lights light up the sky at this year-round destination.
Eagle Air operates a direct flight connection between Húsavík and Reykjavík, estimated flight time is only 50min.
BASILICA FARM & FLEA SPRING MARKET 2019 RECAP
THANK YOU to the independent spirits and creative minds who joined us for a beautiful, bountiful weekend at Basilica Farm Flea Spring Market. And to our neighbors at Processional Arts and Hudson Area Library for the incredible Parade!
THANK YOU to every one of the 93 vendors that joined us, and deep thanks to our supporters and community sponsors for Basilica Farm & Flea Spring Market 2019: Green Mountain Energy, CYCLEffect, SunCommon, Columbia County Tourism and Drop Forge & Tool. We were also delighted to welcome Rural Intelligence and Edible Hudson Valley back as media partners.
IMAGE CREDITS: Aoko Su by Elise McMahon, Nina Z by Elise McMahon, Suncommon by Elise McMahon, Petit Pilou by Elise McMahon, Russell Jones Jewelry by Elise McMahon, Bells Beeswax Candles by Elise McMahon, Shana Lee Jewelry by Elise McMahon, Fahari Bazaar by Elise McMahon, Aubry by Elise McMahon, Folkart by Mary Shelley carving demonstration by Elise McMahon, Crooked Stick Pops fan wearing Petit Pilou by Elise McMahon
Melissa Auf der Maur’s love letter to Moor Mother
I first saw Camae Ayewa perform as Moor Mother when Brandon Stosuy invited her to play our 2017 festival Basilica SoundScape. Watching her set, I was shocked and activated. I turned to my friend and tried to explain my mind’s attempt to make sense of what I was watching:
“Moor Mother is like Courtney Love merged with H.R. from Bad Brains, and a jazz mashup playing backwards on a broken machine — with the angel of Eazy-E hovering above her shoulder.”
Totally nuts. It was the most exciting performance I had seen in years.
It was something brand new and a reflection of a future I could believe in.
As a Canadian living in the USA, and searching for the meaning of ‘American’, I see Ayewa as the most relevant American voice working in music and sound today. Black. Female. Political. Noise Artist. Performance Artist. Technically masterful. Empowered. Unafraid. Confronting. Honest. Beautiful.
As a lifelong devoted musician, who has spent most of the last decade on ‘maternity leave’ to raise a daughter and an arts center that strives to be platform for independent and innovative voices in arts & culture, Moor Mother is an example of what I am seeking. In an oddly ever-evolving world of arts, culture, corporate takeover and political mania, our music festivals at Basilica Hudson, in particular, are where I am learning the most. From a producer and audience perspective, Moor Mother is one of the greatest revelations of this new chapter of mine.
It’s rare when the visceral power of human emotional, political and intellectual are equally woven, sounding unlike anyone but that individual’s landscape. Jazz. Feminism. Activism. Noise. Industrial. Machines. Human. Broken. Sophisticated.
You MUST go discover the world and work of MOOR MOTHER for yourself.
NYC Friends! She is with you this week! GO!
Melissa Auf der Maur
Co-Founder and Director, Basilica Hudson
24-HOUR DRONE 2019 RECAP
EXPERIMENTS IN SOUND AND MUSIC
From quadrophonic, doppler effect surround sound, to endurance tape loops and devotional dawn incantations, our fifth annual 24-HOUR DRONE: EXPERIMENTS IN SOUND AND MUSIC was everything we could have hoped for. Uplifting, buoyant and transformative, it was a homage to sound, a homage to the humanity of sharing space, and a homage to openness, willingness, generosity and stamina.
24-HOUR-DRONE is an incredibly powerful, collective endurance exercise in listening up and blissfully sitting still that – honestly – approaches holiness. One of the best and deepest ways to spend a weekend!
Ben Seretan, artist
2019 Season Announce
We are excited to announce the first key dates and details for our 2019 season, celebrating our ninth season of programming with a genre-spanning array of film, music, art, literature and live performance throughout 2019.
Basilica Back Gallery Artist In Residence Series 2019
June – November 2019
// FREE //
Basilica Hudson is proud to continue its Hudson As Muse Basilica Back Gallery Artist In Residence Series through 2019. The series invites artists to explore the location itself as muse and to create work with the eclectic present and past of this river city as central inspiration.
Back Gallery Opening events are the culmination of artists spending time in and experiencing the space, before opening it up to the public.
