Enjoy these free concerts, with music from around the world
Boston Landmarks Orchestra will be holding two concerts titled “Common Ground.” One will take place on Feb. 26 at Hibernian Hall in Boston, and the other will be on Feb. 27, at Bethel AME in Jamaica Plain. According to the orchestra’s website, “The spirit of Common Ground is in keeping with Landmarks’ longtime encouragement of international reconciliation. The program is made up of works in which composers have taken ideas from other cultures and blended them with their own. The concert was originally planned as a way to welcome in the new year, now rescheduled some eight weeks later.” The orchestra will perform pieces such as “Joyful Day”, from African Suite (Nigeria/England), Romanian Folk Dances by Bela Bartok (Hungary/Romania), and Ennanga (the United States/Uganda). Music director Christopher Wilkens commented on what the concert means to him:
“I’m really excited for this program, and for this specific combination of musical works. Yes, they’re great and interesting pieces. But together they’re more than that, I think they make a powerful statement of unity. We’re all still feeling the pains and losses of the last two years. Our society has been torn apart in so many ways. Music can never fix such things directly, but it has a way of showing what’s possible. This is a program of works in which composers found understanding through difference. They’ve given us evidence of what it really means when we listen to each other. That’s what this program is. It’s also, by the way, a glorious showcase for the orchestra. And the four brilliant soloists who will be front and center! I can’t wait.”
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.