05-26-20 | Songs for Listening: Big Ears for Thu, Mar. 26 - List #2 | Ashley Capps

As many of you know, I came aboard as managing director of the Big Ears Festival in mid-January and we were forced to cancel the festival roughly 2 weeks ago due to COVID-19.

Festival founder / executive director Ashley Capps has made a pair of the playlists for each day of the festival, which we'll put out in a staggered fashion over the weekend

Here's Ashley's note on the second list for Thursday, March 26:
"Today was to have been the first day of the 2020 Big Ears Festival. We’re going to miss seeing you in person this weekend. In the midst of these strange and sad and challenging circumstances in which we find ourselves — and as we plan for the festival’s future incarnations — we thought we might share some playlists, for each day of the festival, based loosely around that day’s programming. We plan multiple playlists for each day — with each playlist offering a different, possible 'path' through the music that one might have experienced.

Here’s 'Path 2' — a more meditative journey than 'Path 1' through what was planned for the opening night of Big Ears 2020. It also begins with Arooj Aftab, with a beautiful song from her 2014 record, 'Bird Under Water'; we then have classic 1970s Terry Riley solo keyboards from 'Shri Camel'; then cellist Anssi Karttunen – as part of a trio – performs the 'Serenatas' No. 1 - 5 by the great Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. Afterwards, two atmospheric pieces from Sarah Davachi, before violinist Daniel Pioro ends the mix with his performance of the Ralph Vaughan Williams classic, “The Lark Ascending.” We hope you like it.”

‘Man Kunto Maula; by Arooj Aftab from ‘Bird Under Wire’
’Celestial Valley’ by Terry Riley from ‘Shri Camel’
’Serenatas’ No. 1-5 by Kaija Saariaho, performed by Ansssi Karttunen from ‘Saariaho: Trios’
’Untitled, Live in Portland’ by Sarah Davachi from ‘Late Night Tales: Floating Points’
’Evensong’ by Sarah Davachi from Gave in Rest’
’The Lark Ascending’ by Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed by Daniel Piori from ‘Dust’