114 20th St. SE
Olympia
Commissioned for the RAMOS festival in Lisbon in 2018, The Esoterics’ founding director Eric Banks composed As palmeiras (“The palms”).
Cultures around the world and through various eras of human history have used the palm tree to symbolize royalty, salvation, bounty, luxury, fertility, and exile. Also, the worldwide demand for palm oil has resulted in an environmental crisis.
For this concert-length cantata, Banks has collected poems, adages, proverbs, and articles – about the palm tree and its various fruits, and has presented these texts in various choral textures. “The Palms” almost traverses the entire globe (longitudinally) — it starts in California, heads east, and ends in Tahiti. In 37 vignettes, Banks’ composition sets texts from 33 countries in 24 different languages. It is a fascinating study of an unlikely subject, and creates a resounding, world-opening experience in concert.
Masks are strongly encouraged.
