DPU, Fifth House Ensemble to present Putnam celebration

Thursday, May 8, 2014
Fifth House Ensemble and the DePauw School of Music will present "Harvest," including original songs written and performed by local musicians Bobbie Lancaster, John Bean and Chris Wurster, among others, in a Mother's Day season finale at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 11 at the Green Center.

On Sunday, May 11 in the Green Center for the Performing Art's Kresge Auditorium, Fifth House Ensemble (5HE), the DePauw University Orchestra and Choirs, and musicians from across Putnam County will collaborate to present "Harvest," a multi-media concert celebrating the Putnam County community.

This one-time-only 3 p.m. performance is the culmination of a creative partnership between 5HE and the DePauw University School of Music that began in June 2013.

Over the course of the yearlong artist residency, members of ensemble and the School of Music have interviewed and gathered stories from Greencastle area residents, including members of the agricultural community, students and faculty at DePauw.

Pop-up-performances at Almost Home, the Farmers' Market on the square, Starbucks, the Putnam County Library, Putnam Inn and the Rotary Club have served as starting points for gathering reflections on local life and history, which in turn have inspired the music and stories featured in the upcoming performance.

Photos, videos, interviews, memories and poems contributed throughout the year accompany a thoughtfully curated program, which includes original songs written and performed by local musicians Bobbie Lancaster, Tad Robinson, John Bean, Chris Wurster and The Fret Set.

Two pieces featuring the DePauw University Orchestra alongside Fifth House Ensemble, as well as music written by nationally and internationally recognized composers, frame these moments and stories with Americana chamber music.

The moving Mother's Day season finale will conclude with Aaron Copland's "The Promise of Living" performed with the DePauw University Orchestra and Chorus, North Putnam County Middle School, Greencastle Presbyterian and Gobin United Methodist Choirs.

DePauw and Fifth House Ensemble invite area residents to come together on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11 to share appreciation for the many inspiring people, places and stories of Putnam County.

The Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble has pioneered the art of narrative chamber music performance. Through unprecedented artistic collaborations, 5HE creates multi-media experiences that depict, inspire, and respond to stories from around the world, intertwining dramatic narrative with chamber music of all genres.

Having established itself as a regular on the Chicago chamber music scene, Fifth House Ensemble has performed on some of the city's most well-regarded series and venues, including the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Mostly Music Series, Pritzker Pavilion, PianoForte Chicago, Sunday Salon Series at the Chicago Cultural Center and Rush Hour Concerts at St. James.

For those planning to attend the concert, several area restaurants have partnered with the School of Music to provide Sunday brunch specials and ensure customers arrive at the concert before 3 p.m., including:

Almost Home Restaurant -- Open for a Mother's Day brunch buffet from 11 a.m.--3 p.m. For reservations or additional information, please call 653-5788.

Putnam Inn Restaurant -- Open for a Mother's Day brunch buffet from 11 a.m.--3 p.m. Reservations are needed for parties of five or more. For more information, call the Putnam Inn at 653-8777.

2 West Restaurant, The Inn at DePauw -- Open for a Mother's Day brunch buffet from 11 a.m.--3 p.m. For more information and to make reservations, call 658-1000.

General admission tickets to "Harvest" are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the event. Tickets for all students, seniors over 65 and youth, 12 years and younger, are free thanks to season sponsors Judson and Joyce Green. To ensure that any person wishing to attend the performance is able to do so, a pay-what-you-can option is also available, online and on request.

To purchase tickets, visit www.depauw.edu/music/tickets, stop by or call the Green Center box office, 658-4827.

For a preview of "Harvest," watch the trailer: http://fifth-house.com/harvest.

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