Boland-Dowall Duo raps up Roots of Renewal

by Emilia Garvey

John Dowdall plucks out the melodies of the Old South on the guitar and Jan Boland smoothly intones gypsy songs from Eastern Europe on the flute. Their mixing of such different musical flavors suggests the complexity of the cultural melting pot that is the contemporary American Midwest. In conjunction with the Roots of Renewal exhibit, the duo will play at Faulconer Gallery on Saturday Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

The Boland-Dowdall duo, which performed at the college in 2002 for the “American Spectrum” exhibition, will be returning on Saturday as the final event for the Roots of Renewal exhibit. Leslie Niehus, the curator of education felt that “their repertoire would complement the Roots of Renewal by contributing to a sense of the richness of the musical traditions of the Midwest.” In order to do this, they will play a unique mix of classical, folk and popular music from many different eras and cultures on the flute and guitar, instruments prevalent in some form across many cultures and eras.

For this concert, they will play two sets— Our Diverse Roots and Blues-Inspired. The duo will interpret the bubbly compositions of Stephen Foster, forerunner in the popular music of the 19th century. His familiar music, such as Old Folks at Home and Oh, Susanna! speaks of the comforts of home and American tradition. In clear contrast, gypsy music used as an inspiration for a classical Hungarian fantasy speaks of exotic and exciting locales far from a simple Midwestern existence. Gypsy fantasy, alongside traditional Irish and Latin music, will also contribute to the sense of the complex and rich cultural background of the American Midwest. The duo will perform contemporary classical interpretations of the rich and present blues music of well-known blues greats such as George Gershwin and Charlie Byrd.

Playing music from such dissimilar genres may sound like a daunting task, but Boland and Dowdall are both “accomplished musicians and delightful performers,” according to Neihus. They have released six albums and have received high recognition from the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Flute Association. Their performances in the past have ranged from classical concerts for the connoisseur to whimsical workshops for schoolchildren. On some occasions they appear in period dress and use period instruments to give the audience the comprehensive experience of their chosen musical genres.

Their careful, conscious mixture of the contemporary and the traditional, the antique and the avant-garde, uses the simple yet versatile combination of flute and guitar.

The Bowland-Dowdall duo plays chamber music for a new century, drawing on their roots as native Iowans and their training as classical musicians, producing a distinctive, distinguished sound that will fill Faulconer Gallery on Saturday night.