On Friday, April 16, classes are cancelled at Furman in favor of Furman Engaged. Among the myriad offerings, including several musical events, is a performance of “Inuksuit” by John Luther Adams, from 1-2:30 at the Amphitheatre.
(The following information is taken from the Furman Engaged! program).
The work, scored for 9–99 percussionists, was co-commissioned by Furman University and premiered in Banff, Alberta, Canada, in June 2009. Adams writes, “Inuksuit is inspired by the stone sentinels constructed over centuries by the Inuit in the windswept expanses of the Arctic. The word “inuksuit” translates literally as ‘to act in the capacity of the human.’ The performers are widely dispersed and move throughout a large, open area. The listeners may move around freely and discover their own individual listening points. This work is intended to expand our awareness of the never-ending music of the world in which we live, transforming seemingly empty space into a more fully experienced place.”
Furman students and faculty who are involved include Cody Boyce, Matt Giebert, Erica Hockensmith, Andrew Lecture, Luke Maloney, Kyle Patterson, Dylan Richards, Derek Stadther, Jeff Weaver,Sam Wooten, and John Beckford.
Guests include John Luther Adams, Steven Schick, the Denkyem Percussion Group; Thad Anderson, Brad Meyer, Andrew Bliss, Brian Nozny, Chris Davis, the North Greenville University Percussion Ensemble; Eric Siglin, Andrew Knauer, Joanne Ma, and Chris Shealy (all local alumni); and Gary Robinson with the Fine Arts Center Percussion Ensemble.
More information can be found in the following sources:
In the meantime, you might be interested in listening to more from the composer. The works of John Luther Adams are available on compact disc in the music library, and even more in the DRAM Database (Furman users only).