Into the Charmed Churned Circle
The piece began with somber shifts between tonic and dominant scale degrees from the cellos facing each other across the hall. Throughout the performance, the three cellos in the ensemble provided an incredibly powerful bass register that supported the upper strings and voices, propelling the sound up and down in wave-like swells. The interplay of the musicians sitting across from each other seemed to mimic ocean currents, the dissonances pulling my ear to and fro between the two sides of the performance space.
Lili Tobias, Oberon's Grove
New York, NY – The Indeterminacy Festival marks its 10th anniversary by inviting audiences of all ages aboard an 19th century whaling ship—figuratively speaking—with Into the Charmed Churned Circle, a large-scale, family-friendly immersive performance inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, David Grann’s The Wager, and the evocative sounds of whales. The world premiere took place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the Newhouse Center at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden on Staten Island.
Into the Charmed Churned Circle features a cast of over sixty professional, community, and youth ensembles. With artistic direction by Stanzi Vaubel, this work was co-composed by Stanzi Vaubel and Philippe Treuille, with choreographic direction by Melanie Aceto. The work blends live music, choral arrangements, and choreographed sequences designed to spark the imaginations of both children and adults. Commissioned by Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the work was made possible in part through the generous support of New York State Council of the Arts and Neuberger Berman.
The next opportunity to see INTO THE CHARMED CHURNED CIRCLE:
Thursday September 25th at the National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, 6:30pm
Please RSVP here
The music of Into the Charmed Churned Circle draws its inspiration from the history of the site, as “snugs” were the affectionate term for the residents who were retired sailors. The performance features a consortium of ensembles including members of:
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Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra, led by Dorothy Savitch, Music Director
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Brooklyn Youth Choir Bass Ensemble, led by Scott Semanski, Choir Director
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Brooklyn Treble Choir, led by Liz Geisewite, Artistic Director
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Grace Chorale of Brooklyn, led by Jason Asbury, Music Director
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New York Choir Project, led by Charlie Adams, Founder and Director
