Poetry and song: Santa Fe Pro Musica joins forces to explore works centered around Walt Whitman

In these fractious times, Santa Fe Pro Musica has gathered poets, musicians and actors to build community around the works of Walt Whitman.

The chamber music group, the Academy for the Love of Learning and Chatter have collaborated to explore community and democracy through performances beginning on Friday, Sept. 27, at Santa Fe’s Lensic Performing Arts Center.

Poetry and song: Santa Fe Pro Musica joins forces to explore works centered around Walt Whitman

“It’s a whole arc of a week and beyond that,” said Colin Jacobsen, Santa Fe Pro Music artistic director.

The three will collaborate to bring Compagnia de’ Colombari’s “Whitman on Walls!” project to New Mexico, allowing local artists to “talk back” to Whitman in their own words.

Jacobsen, who also performs with the New York-based chamber music group Brooklyn Rider, had already written music to a theatrical version of Whitman’s famous poem “Song of Myself.”

Jacobsen filmed a production of the piece and will show it to local poets from the Santa Fe Girls’ School, asking them to respond to its themes.

The programs also will feature Lauren Camp, current New Mexico Poet Laureate; Manuel González, city of Albuquerque Poet Laureate (2016-2018); Michelle Holland, poet-in-residence for the Santa Fe Girls’ School; and Santana Shorty of the Navajo Nation.

A youth concert slated for Friday, Sept. 27, will feature their original poetry backed by a string quartet, flute and percussion.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, Chatter North will do the same at The Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe.

“The idea is to divvy up the poets because there are so many of them,” Jacobsen said.

On Sunday, Sept. 29, Chatter will repeat the format in Albuquerque at 912 Third St. NW.

“Whitman had a radical vision of an inclusive America at the time and a radical empathy for one’s fellow citizens,” Jacobsen said.

Some of the poets echoed his ideas, others quarreled with him, he added.

Santa Fe Pro Musica will stage its season opening orchestra concert, also on Sunday, Sept. 29, with a program featuring the entire collection of Jacobsen’s Whitman music.

“At this moment, we’re confronted with a very divided nation,” Jacobsen said. “Whitman was writing at the center of the Civil War.”

Jacobsen is a violinist and composer who has composed and arranged music for more than 30 albums, won a Grammy Award and is a co-founder of Brooklyn Rider and an original member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble.