“What sounds do you associate with a taproom?” writes Emily Cassel in the July/August issue of Scout Somerville (Somerville, Mass.). “You probably don’t think of classical music that combines violins with electronics, or of Vellumsound, the resident string ensemble at the Museum of Fine Arts. But that’s just what visitors to Slumbrew’s American Fresh Brewhouse … got to hear … This was Original Gravity … [which] combines new classical compositions with original, limited-batch beer from local breweries.” Keith Kirchoff, Original Gravity’s artistic director, says, “I often hear people argue that classical music is dying. I really disagree with this sentiment. What I think is accurate, though, is that … the concert hall can appear dry or stiff.… A brewery is a naturally relaxed environment…. For each show, I share the composer’s music with the brewer … before the concert. They … design a beer they think best reflects that music’s attributes.… One of my favorite pairings is Mozart with an Austrian-style Pilsener. Mozart’s music … on the surface appears simple and light. But in reality, this music is incredibly difficult to perform.… Pilsener is exactly the same…. Our goal is to expand the audience for new classical music, by introducing it to people who probably didn’t even know it existed.”
Posted July 18, 2017
