Ars Choralis (incl. Nancy Chusid) performs music played at Birkenau
By Tom Teicholz at 27 March, 2009, 3:13 pm
Yesterday the New York Times reported on a upstate New York Group, Ars Choralis and their performance of music performed by the women’s orchestra at Birkenau. The women’s orchestra who played for the enjoyment of the Nazi guards and as a distraction to the soon-to-be-murdered Jews, and who survived for doing so, in one of the inumerable devil’s bargains made in the nightmare world of the exterminations camps, were the subject of the telefilm “Playing for Time” Here is the link. They will be performing this Saturday night at St. John The Divine in Manhattan. Turns out Nancy Chusid, my very talented high school classmate, is part of the group. I asked for her comments on the experience of performing these works. Here is the message she sent me (and has allowed me to share):
"This is one of the most intense works I have ever been a part of. It has really made me think about the essential power of music, to heal, to soothe, and to take us out of ourselves. It is very hard to perform in--not because it is technically difficult but because listening to the descriptions of the womens' stories of their lives is completely emotionally derailing. I do a lot of deep breathing and pinching myself during the rehearsals and performances so I don't disgrace myself and weep. We will be performing in Ravensbruck concentration camp in a couple of weeks and I am already feeling a little anxious about staying in a place so permeated with evil..."
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