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Dynamic Duo
Darkwood Consort's eclectic show
BY JENNIFER GELBAND
Say you're a chamber music outfit. Say you've just returned home from performances at the
International Viola Congress in Reykjavik and the World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam.
What's your next move? Slide show, baby! On November 20 at the Esther Simplot Performing Arts
Academy, Boise's Darkwood Consort took a break from their instruments to display on the wall the
pictures from their recent trips and talk about their experiences.
Darkwood is Jennifer Drake on viola and Aage Nielsen on bass clarinet. The duo often plays with
other musicians but they tour and record alone. More importantly, they are also Boise's leading
resident chamber music series with thematic programming and free food. The free food is
self-explanatory (and appreciated), but the thematic programming basically refers to Drake and
Nielsen's on-stage witty banter, joking and slideshow--all of which makes the audience feel like
we're watching our friends perform.
That show last weekend, the second installment of their home concert series, titled "Four I's" (the
joke is funnier when they can visually include a pair of spectacles) featured music from Ireland,
Iceland, Italy and Idaho, which included rich and moving compositions by local artists Johann Helton
and Jim Cockey.
"It's awesome when the people you hang out with and have a beer with can write you some music,"
says Drake of working with the local composers.
True, it's a symbiotic collaboration. And Darkwood reciprocated the gesture by offering the music to
international ears; they just returned from performing the local composers' work at World Bass
Clarinet Convention in Holland. "To be invited to participate is huge," Drake says in her usual upbeat
tone. "To represent what the instrument is about, it's not usually thought of as being a solo
instrument ... it's sort of this hidden instrument you don't hear a lot about but there are hundreds of
thousands who play."
It's a good thing Darkwood went to represent Boise amid all the international players, because Drake
and Nielsen are truly skilled musicians and engaging performers, and surely they did us well.
"We do a four-concert series in Boise about every year," says Drake. "But this is the first really big
thing since we've been back."
But fans can usually find Darkwood playing twice a month someplace in Boise. "It could be
something that's really serious like a classical recital, or it could be goofy where we do Village
People covers," says Drake. "We do a variety of things that people who are 'classical musicians'
don't typically do--we've played in Buhl!"
The Darkwood audience is also different than the standard classical music fans, evidenced from the
attendees at "Four I's." Old, young, punks, nerds--all enjoyed the show that included traditional Irish
folk songs, classic Italian numbers and an Icelandic selection--a Bjork song. "It appeals to people
who people who come from all kinds of musical backgrounds," Drake says of the audience. "We're
just really passionate about the music we present, and it doest matter what it is, it's something
important to us and we want to share it with the audience."
For their next show on February 5, Darkwood has commissioned music to be written based on the
Hans Christian Anderson classic The Ugly Duckling and they will collaborate with Boise High
students for the performance. Like all of Darkwood's unique performances, this next concert is
certainly not to be missed.
By Sara Beitia
DARKWOOD CONSORT NORDISK VINTER CONCERT
It's not every day that one gets up close and personal with a bass clarinet. This can be
remedied by attending a performance by Boise's own Darkwood Consort.
Sunday, January 16 was a perfect day for a "Nordisk Vinter" concert. Downtown at the Esther
Simplot Performing Arts Academy, Darkwood Consort - Aage Nielsen and Jennifer Drake, a bass
clarinet and viola duo- wowed the crowd with a selection of music from Denmark, Sweden, Finland,
Norway and Iceland. The performance covered a spectrum spanning centuries, and styles from the
merry 14th century traditional Swedish tune "Bereden veg for Herran" to selections from
heavyweights like Greig, to the song "Unisano Lag," translated as 'in unison, without meter' and
which the group assured us perfectly represented Iceland in the eighties. Darkwood also treated
the crowd to "Molbrok", a traditional danish tune that sounds much like "The Bear Went Over the
Mountain," as well as 1287's "Die Tenschen Morder" ("the Danish Murderers") , which Darkwood
played while serving as house band for Boise Contemporary Theater's staging of "Dracula."
Though one might expect gravity, even stuffiness, from a classical performance, such
expectations were banished immediately by the friendly, informal banter of Darkwood's members.
They shook hands with random audience members before the performance began, displayed an
easygoing, good-natured impatience with latecomers, frequently joked with the crowd and paused
between tunes to give background on each piece. Pronounced "shameless" by Drake, Nielsen
also took a moment to share Darkwood's bug news- they will perform at the 33rd International Viola
Congress in Reykjavik, Iceland- and to plug their Benefit Concert on February 20th. (More
information is available at www.darkwoodconsort.com)
Darkwood Consort's relaxed bearing was by no means unprofessional, just comfortable, and
therefore very enjoyable indeed. When they play their music, Darkwood is all business.
Joined at times by Karlin Coolidge, flute and piccolo, and Donovan Schatz, bassoon and
contrabassoon, Aage Nielsen (bass clarinet) and Jennifer Drake (viola) delivered a rich and full
sound.
The first half of the performance was a melange of traditional songs, medieval pieces and 20th
century compositions. Short, varied and always interesting, it was perfect for the
Darkwood-uninitiated. There was a stampede during the short intermission to go get the delicious
and complimentary snacks provided by the Scandinavian Society of Southwest Idaho. After that, it
was time to take our seats for the second half of the concert- reserved for Scandinavian
composers of note. Saving the best for last, the concert highlight was selections from Greig's Peer
Gynt Suite. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" was Darkwood's final tune of the afternoon, and Aage
Nielsen could hardly contain his excitement, announcing that it was "time for the heavy artillery."
At the urging of the group, Donovan Schatz briefly stood and displayed his contrabassoon, an
impressive-looking instrument that drew appreciative "oohs" from the audience. Anyone familiar
with "Mountain Kng" knows that it builds to a frenzied and satisfying final resolution-much like
Darkwood Consort's performance. We clapped until our hands hurt.
