John McDowell, composer of music to the film Born into Brothels, accompanied by Regent Park Children’s Choir, performed songs from the film at a fundraiser entitled ”Buy a Brick, Build a Home.” The event was held on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at the Palais Royale in Toronto, ON, Canada.

This VIP Indian Garden Party and Basement Bhangra After Party was hosted by Born into Brothels Academy Award winning Director Ross Kauffman and Executive Producer Geralyn White Dreyfous, who, together are helping raise funds to build Hope House for girls from the red light district of Calcutta.

Here are some great photos, by Henry Chan, of John’s performance:

Music For Farms will perform a concert entitled “An Agricultural Rite of Spring” at the Threefold Auditorium at 260 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY on Friday, May 7, 2010 at 8pm. Tickets may be purchased at the door and are $20 ($15 for students, $10 for children). For more information, call 845-362-0207 or email events@rocklandfarm.org.

John McDowell and Emmanuel Vukovich, who practice music and farming side by side (McDowell at Camp Hill Farm in Pomona, NY; and Vukovich in Quebec, Canada), have formed an international initiative, Music for Farms, which works to revive and sustain local organic agriculture and farming communities through the arts. Julia MacLaine joins them for this special concert. The program, described below, includes the music of Bach and several original works in contemporary and classical idioms, such as their own composition based on the Parcifal legend. The trio’s creative arrangements reflect a weaving of eastern and western traditions, incorporating African drum rhythms. This concert will be a benefit for the Rockland Farm Alliance (RFA). The mission of the RFA is to facilitate local sustainable agriculture in Rockland County, New York.

The program for “An Agricultural Rite of Spring” will be drawn from the following selections:

Parcifal and Zazamanc, by John McDowell and Emmanuel Vukovich

F major, by John McDowell

Pachamama’s Catharsis, by Pedro Malpica

Swara Kakali (transcription of a work by Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar)

Solo violin works by Bach

Music For Farms (John McDowell, Emmanuel Vukovich, and Julia MacLaine) will perform at The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Montreal on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 7pm. St. John the Evangelist is located 137 rue President Kennedy street, across the street from Place des Arts (Metro Place des Arts.) Tickets are $25 ($20 student) if purchased online, in advance, at www.fermecadetroussel.org or $30 ($25 for students) at the door. For further information, contact +1 450 346 4993 or laferme@fermecadetroussel.org

You can download a pdf poster for this concert here.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Ferme Cadet-Roussel for the rebuilding of a barn that recently burned down. The Farm, growing primarily vegetables and breeding pigs, cows, and horses, covers an area of 30 hectares, and is located in Mont-St-Gregoire. Ferme Cadet-Roussel, considered a pioneer organization in Quebec as one of the first certified organic farms in the Quebec, uses Biodynamic farming techniques (one of the first in the province) and was the first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm in Quebec, beginning 15 years ago. Equiterre (www.equiterre.org) – the umbrella organization for CSA farms in Quebec – first started at this farm. Cadet-Roussel was also the first farm to start an agricultural land trust in the province – “Protecterre.” Farmers at Cadet-Roussel believe that the link between farmers and consumers has been virtually lost and must be urgently restored to give meaning to society’s work and values. Besides food production, culture and the arts are also central to the life of the farm.

The program will be drawn from the following selections:

• Parcifal and Zazamanc, by John McDowell and Emmanuel Vukovich
• F major, by John McDowell
• Pachamama’s Catharsis, by Pedro Malpica
• Swara Kakali (transcription of a work by Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar)
• Solo violin works by Bach
• Popular Tango and Brazilian selections

**Also included on this program will be a preview showing of Bach in a Barn, a film on music and farming.**

NOTE: Donations to the barn rebuilding campaign can be made online at www.fermecadetroussel.org or by sending a check to Ferme Cadet-Roussel at the following address: 730 Rang Chartier, Mont-Saint-Grégoire, J0J 1K0.

Of a recent performance earlier in 2010, listener Toinette Lippe wrote to us “I could feel the earth stirring, seeds growing, birds soaring, and the wind in the trees –creation was moving through me–and I was quite wrung out by the end.”.

Here is an archive of information about earlier performances this year of Music for Farms.

May 2 – Novalis Hall, Angus, Ontario, Canada
May 6 – Bechstein Piano Centre, New York, NY
May 7 – Threefold Auditorium, Chestnut Ridge, NY
May 8 – St. John’s Church, Montreal, Canada

John McDowell and Emmanuel Vukovich. Photo by Janet Maya.

Cellist Julia MacLaine

John McDowell teams up with Canadian violinist Emmanuel Vukovich and cellist Julia MacLaine to create the musical ensemble Music For Farms which will perform at Novalis Hall in Angus, Ontario on Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 3pm. Novalis Hall is located at 7841 4th line in Angus, Ontario. Tickets are $20 and can be reserved by calling 1-705-722-5408, or e-mail at rsvp@novalisproject.com. For more information, visit www.novalisproject.com. Downloadable PDF here.

Emmanuel Vukovich and John McDowell, who practice music and farming side by side, have formed an international initiative, Music for Farms, which works to revive and sustain local organic agriculture and farming communities through the arts. Julia MacLaine joins them for this special concert at Novalis Hall. The program includes the music of Bach and several original works in contemporary and classical idioms, such as their own composition based on the Parcival legend. The trio’s creative arrangements reflect a weaving of eastern and western traditions, incorporating African Drum rhythms.

Juilliard and McGill trained Emmanuel Vukovich is the recipient of Canada’s first Golden Violin Award, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet scholarship. His twin passions of farming and music are brought to expression in this artistic Rite of Spring. John McDowell is best known as composer of the score to Oscar winning Born into Brothels. He has toured with platinum selling rock/world music band Rusted Root and his internationally acclaimed band Mamma Tongue. Cellist Julia MacLaine has been consistently singled out by critics for her rich tone, sweet throbbing vibrato and superb musicianship. Her performances at Carnegie Hall, in Europe, North and South America and Iceland have established her as one of today’s prominent cellists.