ROCCO PRIOLETTI
Staff Writer
For Clay Zeller-Townson, Ruckus’ founder, artistic director and bassoonist, the idiosyncratic group developed a musically freeing atmosphere for audiences and musicians alike. The self-described “18th-century, 21st-century continuo band” emphasizes basslines and infectious grooves that emerge during moments of improvisation.
At 4 p.m. today, Ruckus will make their Chautauqua Institution debut in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall. Their program, titled “The Edinburgh Rollick,” comprises a “treasure trove” of arrangements from some of the earliest written-down traditional music from Edinburgh, Scotland’s oral tradition. These pieces were composed by Niel Gow, an influential figure in 17th- and 18th-century Scotland.
“Niel Gow was one of the most famous Scottish musicians from the time. He was both a virtuoso at the violin and as a band leader and tune-creator,” Zeller-Townson said. “His music at the time bridged between sort of dance hall and salon.”
Ruckus will be joined by Keir GoGwilt, a virtuosic violinist, who, despite being born in Edinburgh to a musical Scottish-American family, did not familiarize himself with Gow’s music until recently.
“Keir’s a longtime friend of the band, and we’ve been looking for a project to do dance music together,” Zeller-Townson said. “Kier brought these collections to Ruckus, and they were just a really, really
natural fit.”
Fiona Gillespie’s collaboration with the group is “a really special component of the concert” for Zeller-Townson. The traditional Irish, Scottish singer will sing songs in both Scotts-Gaelic and English.
Ruckus embraces Baroque music as dance music, encouraging an entry point for audiences who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the style.
“We want people who might not be familiar with Baroque music, we want to invite them to this really playful and groovy place. And this is a really great way to perhaps connect with listeners who like traditional Irish bands and Scottish bands, because these tunes will feel familiar,” Zeller-Townson said.
Despite Gow’s music being centuries old, Ruckus’ interpretations remain respectful of the material while instilling fun, individualistic aspects into the arrangements.
“We’re really trying to make it our own — coming from history, but coming through it with a really playful attitude,” Zeller-Townson said.
For the average concertgoer, relishing in improvisation may seem diametrically opposed to a classical musician’s often disciplined precision to the written score. However, even before the indeterminacy of 20th-century avant-garde composers like John Cage and the full-on embrace of the practice in jazz, improvisation played an integral role to both Baroque music and the foundation of Ruckus at large.
“Even if we’re just playing Bach sonatas, if we’re just playing Handel trio sonatas, those works are not written down in finished versions,” Zeller-Townson said. “… So, improvisation has always been a real guiding force to unlocking creative expression in Baroque music for us.”
Zeller-Townson selected all of Ruckus’ members due in part to their openness towards musical honesty and joyfulness through improvisation.
“It’s just part of who we are, and what we believe in makes music feel alive,” Zeller-Townson said. “… We’re just trying to make music that feels alive. And like, when you’re improvising, that’s about as alive as we can feel,” he laughed.
