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Thanksgiving has always been the most universal holiday on the American calendar. It had no particular religious or ethnic roots, honored no party and elevated no great leader. Despite the truth and lies of its mythic origins among the Pilgrims, Thanksgiving celebrates community and welcomes families and friends to share an experience—even in politically fraught times.
For 23 years, Present Music (PM), Milwaukee’s contemporary ensemble, has observed the holiday with an annual Thanksgiving concert. Eric Segnitz, now PM’s co-artistic alongside New York conductor David Bloom, played violin in the group’s first Thanksgiving concert all those years ago.
Segnitz reflects on the legacy of PM’s founder, Kevin Stalheim, who retired from the ensemble at the end of last season. “It’s very much a ‘Kevin thing,’” he says of the Thanksgiving performance. “He’s defined by a populist nature and a genuine desire to unite people. This annual event has affected and moved a lot of people in positive ways over the years. We leave our differences behind for those two hours and take that spirit with us afterwards—time well spent.”
Bloom adds that Stalheim didn’t leave behind a blueprint for this year’s Thanksgiving concert, “but the many successful and deeply moving Thanksgiving concerts that he created were certainly on my mind as the plans materialized for this year. I think the most important gift he gave us with regards to this program was the idea to do a Thanksgiving concert at all. I think music is the perfect medium to inspire contemplation on the simple joys of life that Thanksgiving is all about—friendship, family, love, cross-cultural sharing—but even still, performances that create that kind of space are rare, which makes the Thanksgiving concert unique and vital.”
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Present Music was always keen to expose the work of women composers, and it features works by seven women in this year’s Thanksgiving program. Five of them are living composers whose music covers a wide spectrum of approaches; one of them, Lauren Barta, is a young Milwaukeean. In addition, the program will include some ritual electronica from the late Pauline Oliveros and some happy time from Cass Elliot with her ’60s hit “Make Your Own Kind of Music.” As usual, the concert begins and concludes with a performance by Bucks Native American Singing and Drumming Group.
From his first encounter with PM, Bloom was impressed by its participatory nature. The audience is encouraged to play a part. During Oliveros’ “The Heart Chant,” Bloom says, “the audience will be asked to place one hand on their own heart and their other hand on the back of the person standing next to them, sensing the connections between them and making a sound that intones that. That same collaborative spirit led us to ask the Reagan High School Chamber Choir to perform a work by Lauren Barta, alumna of both Reagan and Present Music's Creation Project.”
Bloom was not a stranger to PM and had been guest conductor before being elevated to the co-directorship. However, PM was never one of those rootless art music organizations, it had unique communal and aesthetic ties to Milwaukee. They are brown mustard on bratwurst to the bland vanilla pudding of many contemporary “serious music” ensembles. Bloom, a young New Yorker best known as co-director of the Contemporaneous ensemble, came to his new post with a deep appreciation for the local roots of PM’s outreach.
“It’s going very well,” Bloom says of the long-distance working relationship with Segnitz and PM. “There are certainly many times that I’ve wished I were in Milwaukee for meetings and events, but I have been able to spend a few weeks there this fall to work with collaborators, visit friends and enjoy everything from concerts to custards to new running paths. I love working with Eric because he has fantastic ideas and a deep knowledge of the community. Our collaboration has made for much stronger programs than either of us could have made on our own.”
“There are pros and cons to any transitional change,” Segnitz adds. “But in this case, the pros, meaning David’s total involvement even at a distance, have significantly reinvigorated everyone associated with Present Music. And we want to share that with as many people as possible.”
Losing no momentum from the retirement of its founder, PM is now engaged in finding its trajectory, keeping one eye on its legacy and the other on the future. “The sky is the limit. Of course, we need fertile soil to grow, but we have so much faith in our support in Milwaukee. We’ve come this far, let’s take it to the next level,” Segnitz says.
Present Music’s Thanksgiving concert takes place at 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 812 N. Jackson St. For tickets visit presentmusic.org or call 414-271-0711.
