ALL IS CALM, The Christmas Truce of 1914 - A San Diego Premiere
Bodhi Tree Concerts presents, in a one of a kind collaboration with SACRA/PROFANA, FAB United & San Diego Opera, the San Diego premiere of All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Peter Rothstein with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach. A powerful and fabled story of World War I told through a capella songs and letters.
Saturday, November 19, 2016 – 7:00pm
Sunday, November 20, 2016 – 2:00pm
The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park
2115 Park Boulevard, San Diego, Ca 92101
During the early months of WWI on the battle fields in Belgium, thousands of men put down their guns and left the protection of trenches to meet their enemies in “no man’s land”. They exchanged gifts of tobacco, rum and chocolates, even photographs of loved ones. They sang songs, played a game of soccer, and buried each others dead. Upon orders from above, they eventually returned to their trenches and re-instigated a brutal war that would last four more years. This relatively unknown story was no doubt covered up by the propaganda machine of War News. Word of soldiers fraternizing across enemy lines put too human a face on the Germans and could readily undermine public support for the war. The heroes of this story are the lowest of the ranks – the young, the hungry, the cold, and the optimistic – those who acted with great courage to put down their guns, overcoming a fear that placed a gun in their hands in the first place. The retelling of this story reminds us of the atrocities of war, our common humanity and for a few brief moments, the hope of a peaceful future.
The music ranges from trench songs to patriotic and sentimental tunes, as well as Christmas music from the participating countries. The text is taken from a wide range of sources including letters, journals, official war documents, poetry, gravestone inscriptions – even an old radio broadcast.
Composed for a capella male voices, All Is Calm will feature the finest all local cast featuring Chad Frisque, Timmy Simpson, Jonathan Nussman, Michael Sokol, Christopher Stephens & Walter DuMelle with chorus provided by the men from SACRA/PROFANA under the direction of acclaimed local Music Director, Juan Acosta and Stage Director Jacob Bruce.
All Is Calm will be produced through a unique collaboration of several local arts organizations: Bodhi Tree Concerts, SACRA/PROFANA, FAB United & San Diego Opera. Working in partnership to bring this important story to San Diego audiences, All Is Calm is destined to become another holiday tradition. The venue is intimate and unique and tickets are already selling quickly.
Tickets are $30 (students & military $15) and may be purchased online at bodhitreeconcerts.org
For headshots and biographies of the artists,
About The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park
One hundred percent of the profits from this concert will be donated to The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park. The museum was formed in March 1989 to create, maintain and operate an institution to honor and perpetuate the memories of all men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces and Wartime Merchant Marine.
The site chosen for the location of The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park was the former San Diego Naval Hospital Chapel at Inspiration Point in Balboa Park, part of a complex of architecturally significant buildings with rich historical connections to the San Diego region's naval heritage.
About Bodhi Tree Concerts
Bodhi Tree Concerts performs random acts of kindness by presenting music events, donating 100 percent of its profits to charitable causes. The group hires exclusively local artists, to inspire community engagement, philanthropy, and enlightenment through music. This concert marks the opening concert of Bodhi Tree Concerts’ sixth season. The organization has already presented over 20 concerts and donated thousands of dollars to 20 charitable organizations including Mama’s Kitchen, Voices for Children, Erase Poverty, and Foundation for Women, just to name a few. Bodhi Tree Concerts won a coveted San Diego Bravo Award in 2013, a Best of Fringe Award in 2014, a Best of 2014 and 2015 from SanDiegoStory.com, and most recently a Critics Choice Award in 2015 for their SD Premiere of Tears of the Knife.
For more information and press tickets please contact Diana DuMelle, (917) 596-9359, or BodhiTreeConcerts@gmail.com.
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