“5th Wave Collective (part of the Eighth Blackbird Series) reviewed by Julia W. Rath

Highly Recommended!****

Scintillating vibrations filled the air on May 5, 2021, as members of the 5th Wave Collective took their places performing chamber music in an intimate setting, at the CAW (Chicago Artists Workshop)/Eighth Blackbird facility on Chicago’s North Side. The hour-long concert highlighted works that were created by women and transgender and nongender-conforming individuals, whose music has generally been underrepresented in repertories. Listening to the interplay of consonance, dissonance, resonance, and resolution could not have been any better! The sound gracefully meandered through the air, across the internet, and live via the CAW videostream.

Compositions included:

Brandee Younger – “Essence of Ruby” performed by Eleanor Kirk, Harp and Ashley Ertz, Oboe

Cecilia Livingston – “Light” performed by Ivonne García, Violin; Josephine Yang, Piano; Rebecca McDaniel, Percussion

Chiayu Hsu – “Contrasts”, movement performed by Ashley Ertz, Oboe and Josephine Yang, Piano

I. Katherine Balch – “Apartment Sounds” from Two Songs for Robyn (plucking with siren sounds and video), performed by Ivonne García, Violin

Henriette Renié – “Andante Religioso” performed by Ashley Ertz on English horn and Eleanor Kirk on Harp

Angélica Negrón – “La Bicicleta de Cristal” featuring Rebecca McDaniel on Percussion (glockenspiel and kick drum)

Margaret Bonds – “Troubled Water” performed by Josephine Yang, Piano

All of the five musicians wore face coverings, including the host of the program Lisa Kaplan. The occasional exception was Ashley Ertz, who had to take off her mask to play her reed instruments

This delightful performance was built on the history of feminism, as elaborated in the various talks that punctuated the evening. The group alludes to this in their name: the fifth wave being that of feminism yet to come. We are currently living in the fourth wave, with the first being that of the suffragists. A further explanation can be found on their website https://www.5thwavecollective.com/.

This program featuring the 5th Wave Collective (Ashley Ertz, Ivonne García, Eleanor Kirk, Rebecca McDaniel, Josephine Yang) was made possible by the Chicago Artists Workshop (CAW) and Eighth Blackbird as part of their online concert series.

For more information about this concert and future offerings, visit https://www.eighthblackbird.org/.

Tickets for this one-time livestreamed event were $20 per household (suggested), but options include choosing a price or becoming a donor to the organization. Please go to the donate section on the Eighth Blackbird website to help support their mission of promoting performing artists in Chicago and the Midwest.

You can also follow them on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/eighthblackbird/.