NMC Campus Observer

Gloriously Red Performance

CDB Barkley (aka Alan Levine) : Apr 15, 2007 03:53pm

Last night was a momentous evening of music on NMC Campus, with the first simulcast ever of a live orchestra performance into Second Life.. and not only that, at three different locations in world. Those who were present on NMC Campus and the new OneCleveland sim were treated to a magnificent 2 hours of music by Red {an orchetra}, live from the Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland.

The live video was streamed with excellent audio fidelity thanks to the efforts of Case Western University and others on hand — we are hoping soon to have an audio recording as well as a top notch produced video. In the meantime, we have a suite of photos available as a flickr slide show, with some highlights below.

Guests arrive at the Gonick Amphitheater location on NMC Campus

The performance this evening was That Red Guy, featuring music orchestrated and composed by Director and Conductor, Jonathan Sheffer– the world premier of Sheffer’s A Red Couch Floating in Lake Erie: A Symphony of Songs. As a tribute to the city of Cleveland, is based on poems published by the Poets’ and Writers’ League of Greater Cleveland.

The poems include one about Helen Keller experiencing a 1913 blizzard in Cleveland, and one about the only major league baseball player ever hit and killed by a pitch – yes in Cleveland.

All seats had great views in the Machinia Studio Theater on Learning, one of the sims that make up NMC Campus.

This special performance was a premier of the new sim for OneCleveland — a collaboration between Case Western Reserve University and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Part of Case’s use of Second Life is to recruit students, and the unofficial word we heard today was that already four students in their incoming class have indicated they based their decision on OneCleveland sim and Case’s presence in Second Life.

Multi-screen views on the OneCleveland location for the Red an {orchestra} performance

Other pieces performed last nigh included the North American premier of Jonathan Sheffer’s Romp: Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra, featuring Anders Paulsson of Sweden, the world-leading classical soprano saxophonist. And, Six Preludes from the Well Tempered Clavier, an orchestral transcription Sheffer composed from Bach’s masterpiece, “The Well Tempered Clavier” was also performed.

Learn more about Red an {orchestra} and the Second Life connection.

Story filed under: Arts, What's Happening

See all stories by CDB Barkley (aka Alan Levine)