As part of KMFA 89.5 Classical radio’s Offbeat series, Inversion Ensemble performed Fire, Water, and The Air We Breathe for two days at the Navasota Street studio. Inversion is a professional choir who perform unconventional new works by local musicians and U.S. composers. Art, visuals, dance, — in other words multimedia is incorporated into the performances. Conductor Trevor F. Shaw is also a poet who collaborated with Juhi Bansal, an award-winning composer, conductor, and teacher, who was commissioned to write pieces in this show.
Before the performance, Juhi, Trevor, and Guillermo Delgado (radio host and singer in the Inversion choir) spoke with audience members via Zoom to elucidate the background – the meaning of the compositions, the hows and whys etc. So as not to give any spoiler alerts for when you go out to purchase or download these magnificent pieces.
Juhi’s language of the earth takes in the big conversations. What is humanity’s role in stewarding the planet? How can we better the consciousness of the planet rather than destroying it? What is Mother Earth saying to us by way of volatile reacxtions – flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis, fires and volcanic eruptions?
The theme is originally executed with spoken and visually displayed poetry on a screen of moving visual colors and shapes, by Walt Whitman, new words by Kim Stafford, Sara Teasdale, and Stephen Crane and poetry by Trevor F. Shaw accompanied by music by Juhi Bansal.
Three parts starting with I. War, moving onto II. Storm and ending in III. Echoes brought to life Mother Earth’s response. First through pounding Taiko-like percussion and dancing drumbeats, with vocalizations based on Hindustani sounds. Then an evocation of reactions for Storm like ragas, and lastly Echoes, soundscapes and vocal solos echoing the aftermath of destruction of Mother Earth.
Profoundly moving to the point of tears, I pondered the meaning of the poetry and shattering vocals, at times forceful and tame, hopeful and resentful which culminated in the composition “Language of the Earth”.
After intermission pianist Joe Hisaishi played Ask Me Why from “The Boy and the Heron”, a vivid and poignant rendition of the Gibli film that ejectedme from my seat soaring to heights in the heavens.
The final number of the second set was a magnificent effort of originality called The Common Air, music written by Trevor F. Shaw with words adapted from Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”, a timely and thought provoking ending to the show.
For more information about Inversion visit www.inversiontx.org or to make a tax-deductible contribution. Visit KMFA’s website for more information on the Offbeat Series at https://www.kmfa.org/