Classical violinist Jonathan Aceto brought out his ZETA electric violin for a great turnout at Weatherwatch Farm. He played two fascinating contemporary works for MIDI violin, background tape, and visuals: the hair-raising SAMPLER: Everything Goes When the Whistle Blows by Salvatore Martirano, inspired by the 1985 terrorist hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship; and the otherworldly Desert Voices by Priscilla McLean, with a slideshow of photos of the Sonoran Desert, where many of the sounds on the background tape were recorded. In between, an aural  “palate cleanser,†Jonathan played the “Sarabande†from J.S. Bach’s unaccompanied Suite No. 3 in C with Grand Canyon reverb.
But to get everyone primed for the concert beforehand, the McLeans had created an interactive installation that utilized world music, sounds of nature, intriguing experimental techniques, and projected images. Small groups of 3 to 5 entered into a darkened room to experience, create, and manipulate music and sounds. Later, to round out the evening was a screening of Rainforest Images II, the evocative music-video by Barton and Priscilla McLean based on their adventures in Borneo, Malaysia, and Costa Rica. All the while there was plentiful eating and drinking – all good fun, punctuated with many beautiful, uplifting moments.
