Earl Kim: Now and Then

View the online program book here: https://www.flipsnack.com/convergence... Convergence Ensemble previously live streamed Earl Kim’s poignant "Now and Then," described by his former student Dr. Anthony Brandt as “a quiet, passionate protest against nuclear war”, in a virtual salon event, followed by a roundtable discussion exploring history, art, and activism, featuring “radiant” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer) mezzo-soprano D’Anna Fortunato (also featured on the performance), “gutsy, risk-taking” (Patriot Ledger) artistic director Rachel Goodwin, peace activist Joseph Gerson, peacebuilder Ray Matsumiya, and poet and moderator Charles Coe. Earl Kim (1920-1998) was a Korean-American composer who taught at Harvard. He was a pilot in the US Army Air Force during WWII and flew over Nagasaki just 24 hours after the devastating bombing. He writes about "Now and Then" below: "While serving as a combat intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Air Force, I flew over Nagasaki on August 10, 1945, just 24 hours after the bomb was dropped. On August 8, 1981, some 36 years later almost to the day, Now and Then was complete in its first version for voice and piano. Although each of the songs was conceived in a day, the years that intervened between their completion and Nagasaki seemed to have been necessary before they could be set down. The texts which I finally settled on cover a range of poetic images dealing with the death of friends, the innocence and vulnerability of daffodils, the loneliness of one's final moment, and Chekhov's prophetic vision of an earth which for thousands of years… has borne no living creature." Our recording features mezzo-soprano D'Anna Fortunato, flutist Linda Toote, violist Hye-Min Choi, harpist Ina Zdorovetchi. The recording also features a literary performance by poet Charles Coe and original artwork by Makenna Parks. Convergence Ensemble is led by pianist and artistic director Rachel Goodwin. More info about the Earl Kim salon can be found at www.convergenceensemble.org/earlkim. Convergence Ensemble is funded generously by our donors. This project was made possible in part by the Boston Cultural Council, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Boston Arts & Culture Covid-19 Fund, and the Avison Charitable Foundation. Please consider supporting us at www.convergenceensemble.org/support. Audio by Peter Atkinson [email protected] Video by Nick Stevens of GreenBox Media www.grnboxmedia.com [email protected]