The Winds of Mongolia Fundraising Concert
a Great Success!
by
Emily Busch
AHAN President
Click images to see a larger version.
Thursday, March 21st, 2002
6:00 AM.
The
previous day had been warm with a hint of early spring in the air.
We woke on Thursday morning to a flurry of snow.
It was show time. Although we had dreamed about it since our last
visit to Mongolia in July of 2001, the concert had come about quickly,
planned and executed in only two months time. Nippon Kan has hosted
many seminars and activities for dojo members, families and friends,
but this was the first time that we had hosted an event advertised
and marketed to the general public.
From the start, planning this fundraising concert was a challenge.
First we needed to find the right location. We were lucky. We aimed
our sights high and actually secured the Grand Seawell Ballroom
at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Very prestigious indeed,
the usually booking notice at the DCPA is eight to ten months…,
we secured a date with seven weeks left to plan. The commitment
was now made.
The second challenge we soon discovered was that most Americans
are not completely sure where Mongolia is much less what Mongolian
Folk singing sounds like. Homma Sensei, who served as concert program
director, had faith however, commenting that “People in America
might not know much about Mongolian music, but there are many Americans
who appreciate art and culture and can appreciate quality in a performance
even if the medium is new to them”. So we foraged ahead, working
hard at the task before us—to introduce Denver to the mystery
and wonder of Mongolian song.
The planning continued with daily meetings and tasks to promote
the event. The first task was to develop posters and flyers to help
us get the word out. We arranged to have professional photographs
taken by John Mueller, a local well-known photographer. Together
with artwork designed by Daniell, posters were produced for distribution.
Armed with enthusiasm and perseverance, our public relations coordinator
Carolyn Kelly tackled the media, and managed to get a number of
write-ups in the local papers and a live spot on the local morning
television news. Other Nippon Kan members pitched in. Organized
by Suzanne Collins, a Nippon Kan staff member, the group performed
at an instore demonstration at Tower records. Other members such
as Nathan Sanzone McDowell spent Saturdays traveling by bus and
bicycle to put up posters and flyers in and around the Denver and
Boulder area. Domo Restaurant sponsored a preview concert for the
local media, which helped tremendously in promoting the concert
to the press.
Homma Sensei began working on the concert program, listening to
the groups CD’s from morning till night. It wasn’t long
until all of us could hum along to the litany of songs. Homma Sensei
designed and coordinated an hour and a half program, which was an
inspiration in its presentation.
Concert Day
March 21st, 2002
12:00 PM.
By lunchtime a four-man cameral crew from the Art Institute of Colorado
had begun to set up. The crew under the supervision of Mr. Bob Studinger,
and lead by John Jensen set their cameras strategically to capture
the event on film. The concert hall was arranged to hold 516 chairs
and the DCPA staff began their lighting and sound checks based on
the program script designed by Homma Sensei.
2:00 PM.
We began the one and only rehearsal we would have before the performance
began in less than five hours. The opening numbers of the show,
which included an American tribute, were the most critical. These
were rehearsed diligently to get just the right nuance and tempo.
The technical staff worked to time the slide show, which was projected
behind the performers to add visual imagery to the sounds of the
performers. By 5:00 pm., Nippon Kan volunteer staff members had
arrived to take up their positions as ticket takers, ushers, and
hosts.
6:30 PM.
We
crossed our fingers and opened the doors at 6:30 pm. for a pre concert
art exhibition and Mongolian wrestling demonstration. The concert
hall had been set up with a multitude of colorful canvases created
by the well-known Mongolian artist Tsugo.
Even
as the doors opened, there were people waiting outside to come in.
Five minutes before curtain time we were amazed to find that all
516 seats had been filled, and hurriedly arranged for thirty more
chairs to be brought in.
7:30 pm.
The
lights go to black and the crowd settles in. A spotlight trained
on the rear entrance to the hall illuminates a Mongolian woman in
traditional dress and a gathering of children, which she scurries
before her onto the stage. On the stage, in the stillness, under
the one spotlight, she leans toward the children and begins to tell
a Mongolian tale in her native tongue. The melodic sounds of the
spoken Mongolian language fill the hall. Projected behind the stage
is an English version of the poem she tells which the audience can
follow to understand the meaning of her words. The stage fades again
to black. After seconds of silence a single warbled note from a
mouth harp can be heard, followed slowly by another, and another.
An image is projected behind the stage honoring the victims and
heroes of September 11, 2001.
Slowly
in the darkness, two cello like instruments called a Morin Khuur
and a hitting dulcimer begin to play America the Beautiful. The
lights brighten as the melody increases in intensity and volume.
The concert has begun, and strong emotion can be felt in the hall
as thunderous applause breaks out.
The
performance was divided into three sections. Over twenty songs were
performed punctuated by commentary delivered by the Mistress of
Ceremonies, Carolyn Kelly who in her own right is an experienced
opera singer and performer. The encore was a popular Mongolian favorite
and the Mongolian natives in the audience rose to their feet and
sang along. Tears could be seen in their eyes as they stood singing
and swaying with the music.
Right on time, the concert finished to a five minute standing ovation.
After the performance, the group members mingled happily with the
audience signing autographs and CD’s. It was a joyous moment
indeed.
The first purpose of this concert
was to raise funds to benefit the orphaned children in Mongolia,
but it was not the only purpose. It was also a vehicle to promote
cross-cultural exchange for all of us here in Denver. Everyone who
worked on this project whether from Mongolia or America or Japan
came away from the experience with an enriched understanding of
one another. It was also an important vehicle for the Denver Mongolian
Community. It was a way to share their native culture and their
national identity with their new neighbors and friends here in Denver.
Nippon Kan widened the circle by inviting Denver based groups who
were also involved in community service to attend the concert as
our guests. Among these were guests from the Denver Rescue Mission,
the Denver Parks and Recreation Department Volunteer Office, the
Dianna Price Cancer Foundation, and the Art Institute of Colorado.
Many sincere thanks to Nippon Kan students who volunteered many
hours of their time, and to our corporate sponsors; Nishimoto Trading
Company, Mission Travel Services, Joko Ninomiya Shihan—Enshin
Karate, Sadaharu Kurobane
Sensei—DenwaKan Karate and Yutaka Yaguchi Sensei—Japan
Karate Do.