‘Le Bon Vent’ at

'LE BON VENT' "Le Bon Vent" will celebrate the link between the music of New England and the indigenous music of France when they perform at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph Friday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. There will be an open music jam in Chandler's Upper Gallery following the concert. Bring your instruments! For concert tickets call the Chandler Box office at 728-6464.

Chandler Sept. 30

New World Festival fans don’t have to wait another year for the music they love. "Le Bon Vent" will perform at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph Friday evening, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Sharon resident Jeremiah McLane, the founding member of "Nightingale," formed "Le Bon Vent" two years ago. The ensemble is a sextet that introduces audiences to traditional French music, and highlights the influence it has had on the music of New England.

McLane created the group in 2003 to perform music that he composed as part of a grant awarded to him by the Vermont Arts Council. His project was a quest for the early link between the music of his native New England and the indigenous music of France. In creating this music he drew from traditional sources in two areas of France: Brittany and Auvergne. As McLane discovered, both these areas have their own distinct languages, musical styles and performance traditions. Today the group continues to draw from old manuscripts, commercial field recordings, and McLane’s own collections, as well as contemporary sources from both France and New England.

From France the group brings the hypnotic Bourree, a staple of the Massif Central, as well as songs in ancient dialects still heard in remote mountain villages today. From New England the band plays driving Franco-American fiddle tunes with a percussive rhythm section. Many of the pieces are the recent compositions of McLane’s as well as of other band members. Much of the music also incorporates different types of improvisation, from Gregorian chant to the jazzy strains of Parisian Vale Musette.

For this project, McLane assembled a talented and diverse group of musicians. James Falcone, recognized as an "amazing" jazz clarinetist, is a college-level lecturer on music from Illinois; Seattle-based fiddler Ruthie Dornfeld teaches and performs throughout the world in a wide range of styles; innovative percussionist Taki Masuko came from the Osaka Philharmonic in Japan to the faculty of the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Mass.; Boston-based soprano Cristi Catt, specializing in medieval and contemporary vocal music, performs with leading early music ensembles such as "Tapestry," "Revels," and "Boston Camerata;" Guitarist Adam Larrabee performs and composes in Boston and teaches at the New England Conservatory.

McLane himself has a firm musical background, having studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the Cornish Institute of Allied Arts, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Massachusetts, and the New England Conservatory of Music, where he completed his Master’s of Music in Contemporary Improvisation. With a firm grounding in jazz and blues, his areas of expertise also include Celtic, French, Quebecois, Cajun, and Scandinavian music.

Tickets for this concert are general admission and are available by calling the Chandler Box Office at 728-6464 between 3-6 p.m., and at tickets@chandlermusichall.org. They may also be purchased at Cover to Cover Books in Randolph.

This performance is presented by Chandler Center for the Arts and sponsored by Jenny June Fancywork and the Three Stallion Inn. Chandler Music Hall is wheelchair accessible.

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