Requiem

by Annie Feldmeier Adams with Steven Hess

September 19, 2010 - January 31, 2011

What you'll hear in the Fern Room is Requiem, a composition by Chicago artist Annie Feldmeier-Adams, with assistance from composer Steven Hess. The piece is an homage to a little known bit of the history of Lincoln Park: in the nineteenth century, this land was the city cemetery, but in subsequent years, many of the bodies were removed to new locations. This work was never completed, however, and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed burial records and grave markers, so a number of bodies still lay under Lincoln Park to this day. Requiem is a tribute to those still buried. Its sparse and ephemeral sounds conjure a sense of absence, while its slow beat is like a pulse that continues unabated, reminding us that life—even in its most lush and fertile manifestations as we see in the Fern Room—is ultimately nourished by the death of organisms, and that each living thing passes on but nourishes future generations.

Opening reception

Sunday, September 19, 3-5pm

Annie Feldmeier Adams - vocals

Brendan Burke - synthetic hammond organ and piano

Steven Hess - drum, clock, contact microphone, manipulated audio tape and electronics

Joseph Clayton Mills - dulcimer, morse code instructograph and electronics