Johns Brook

David Gibson studied composition from Dorrance Stalvey in the early 1970's in Los Angeles. Dorrance, who was a student of and copyist for Igor Stravinski at U.C.L.A., was the program director of the Monday Evening Concert Series at the Bing Theater of the Los Angeles County Art Museum - LA's contemporary music series. Gibson's first works were played on the student portion of that series. David has scored children's theater and films, and has explored a variety of styles and compositional approaches. His first film scores were all electronic, culminating in two films which won Oscar recognition, first place at the American and Atlanta Film Festivals, and first prize at the Trieste, Italy, Film Festival awards, in 1976 and 1977. He has explored abstract symbolic scoring, jazz, serial, atonal, modal, and mathematical approaches to composition, and has recently returned to tonal and modal harmonies. Since moving to Vermont in 1979, David has spent most of his time in educational leadership positions, playing jazz, and accompanying his wife Mary (a violinist with the Vermont Symphony) in her teaching and casual performances. He recently returned to composition with Easter Cantata, a four movement work for chorus and orchestra which received its world premiere at the Stowe Community Church in the Spring of 1996, conducted by Cy Bryant. Another recent work is A Mighty Fortress, an arrangement of Martin Luther's hymn set for chorus, organ, French horn and trumpet which received its world premiere in the Fall of 1996. He is currently working on a doctorate from the University of Vermont, researching the area of complex systems; especially focusing on the potential usefulness of the mathematical foundations of complexity, fuzzy logic, and related areas for social research. Dr. David Gibson is the Director of Research at the Vermont Institutes, concentrating on partnership development and new programs, systems analysis, policy development, evaluation, higher education reform and statewide professional development planning. With the Evaluation Center, David manages the evaluation of Community Connections. David is also a leader in other state, national and international education innovation initiatives, including the National Institute for Community Innovations. His research and publications include work on complex systems analysis and modeling of education and the use of technology to personalize education for the success of all students. This double CD-set is the companion to the final book reporting on the activities of Het Apollohuis. The recordings on these CDs give an idea of the music and the sound art presented in concerts at Het Apollohuis in the priod from 1980 through 1997. Out of a total of 500 performances I chose 38, from which exceprts of varying lenght have been included in this anthiology. These have been arranged in chronological order. The diversity of the selected pieces is characteristic of the programme of Het Apollohuis. Only limited number of composers and musicians who performed can be heard in brief fragments o these discs. Consequently a considerable number has been excluded. There simply was no way to include them all (this selection does not imply we value one above the other). The choice of the particular musicians has been my responsability (P: Panhuysen). liner notes: René van Peer sound selection: René Adriaans mastering: Frank Donkersgoed design: Tom Homburg, Marcel d'Anjou (Opera)