The Finnish Heritage Society presents The Deconstruction Orchestra directed by Josh Allen & Heikki 'Mike' Koskinen's Northern Winds, a benefit concert for the Berkeley Finnish Hall ADA Access project.
Program:
San Francisco-based composer-bandleader Joshua Allen and his high-energy innovative 23-piece Deconstruction Orchestra will perform Constructions #31, 32, and 33, original deconstructivist-inspired music of cell structure game compositions. Melding together post-modern, free jazz, non-idiomatic improvisation, and San Francisco’s vast highly diverse contemporary music scenes, the Deconstruction Orchestra is inspired by the large ensemble works of late 20th century composer/directors such as Marco Enedi, Cecil Taylor, and the works of Butch Morris, and Kim Richmond. Under the direction Joshua Allen, the orchestra creates a powerfully cathartic architecture of sound creating a sonic space around the listener and redefining the purpose of the large ensemble.
Opening will be composer Heikki 'Mike' Koskinen's Northern Winds. A project featuring new and old Finnish music arranged in innovative new ways, exploring the universal connections between immigrants and their motherlands. They bring together musicians from many past projects and performances utilizing each musician’s unique sound in creating new sonic textures and ways to interpret these songs that are well known to the Finnish community yet arranged in non-traditional ways. Northern Winds takes the listener on a musical ride through a wide variety of styles and approaches, from written arrangements to free flowing extemporaneous group improvisations. Heikki received Finnish Music Archives’ lifetime award as “Finnish Jazz Legend #34” in September 2019.
https://edgetonerecords.bandcamp.com/.../sis-ll-ulkona...
Performing Artists:
Deconstruction Orchestra
Director Joshua Allen - Composer, tenor saxophone
Constructions #31, 32, and 33
Janel Wagner--electric guitar, Carla Kaufman-double bass, Dave Casini-drums
Nathan Corder-electric guitar, Tim Duff-double bass, Kevin Corcoran-drums
Steve Adams-alto saxophone, Rent Romus-alto saxophone, Sam Flores-tenor saxophone, JAROBA-baritone saxophone
Aaron Bennett-soprano saxophone, Jeff Hobbs-alto saxophone, Kevin Robinson-tenor saxophone, Dan Plonsey-baritone
Sheldon Brown-soprano saxophone, John Ingle-alto saxophone, Joshua Marshall-tenor saxophone, John Vaughn-baritone saxophone
Mitch Craig-Eb horn, Matt Gaspari-flugelhorn, Matt Striech-trombone, Ron Heglin-tuba
Northern Winds
Heikki 'Mike' Koskinen - Composer, e-trumpet, tenor recorder, piano, voice, midi
Rent Romus - alto saxophone, flutes, percussion, voice
Tim Duff - double bass, Elihu Knowles - drums, piano
The event is suitable for all ages.
Tickets: $20 General $15 Student/Senior
ALL PROCEEDS HELP THE HALL ADA PROJECT!!!
Make a donation today!
https://www.gofundme.com/f/berkeley-finn-hall-accessibility
Over a hundred years ago, Finns immigrated to the East Bay. Many came in the great migration of the 1890s to the 1910s. The families wanted a space of their own, where they could speak Finnish, eat food from the Old Country, and celebrate important holidays such as Vappu and Finnish Independence Day. Members of that
group built the Finnish Hall on Berkeley’s Chestnut Street, a beautiful and historic building that has been cared for by descendants of these Finnish settlers since its completion in 1932. Now the Hall needs all of us.People may ask why this is important now, in 2024. Although the Hall functions as a center for Finnish culture only a few times a year, its auditorium, stage, and meeting rooms are active every single day. While people may no longer identify or feel kinship with an ethnic group, people need community, and they find it within religious, dance, arts, and other kinships. The Hall serves Barefoot Boogie, Oakland Symphony Choir rehearsals, Lowiczanie Polish Folk Dance Ensemble, Diablo Grotto Spelunkers, Indivisible Berkeley, and Spindles and Flyers Textile Guild, among many others. These groups are as important to contemporary East Bay residents as the Hall was to Finnish immigrants in decades past.For years the Board of Trustees wanted to improve access to the Hall. Now we are embarking on a major construction project to add ADA bathrooms and access to both the auditorium and kitchen levels. We need your help.A fundraising target of $250,000 has been set, and construction will begin this June. Please become a part of this venture that will serve generations to come. The East Bay needs quality spaces where people can find themselves as well as each other, where arts and dance thrive, where community grows through talk and
advocacy. Please support what our founders dreamed of: a place they can call home.Once we finish the accessibility project, that home will truly be for everyone. We are including two attachments: one gives more details about the accessibility project and the other provides more of the Hall’s history.Sincerely,
The Finnish Heritage Society
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