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Sarasa is a chamber ensemble with a mission. When a prison volunteer asked him to play for inmates, cellist Timothy Merton became inspired. The Cambridge, Massachusetts–based musician formed a group that began bringing music to people who don’t normally have access to live, classical performances. Since its inception in 1997, Sarasa’s members have played not only in prisons but also in medical and mental-health facilities, inner-city schools, and homeless shelters. They have toured Cuba and southern India and have performed, to enthusiastic reviews, at the Sligo Early Music Festival in Ireland. I recently caught up with Merton at his home base in Cambridge. He and first violinist Brian Brooks spoke enthusiastically about their experiences performing for unusual audiences, from adults in U.S. prisons to children in community centers in India. One of the biggest surprises, they said, came when they entered the Sing-Sing correctional facility in Ossining, New York, to perform music of the Baroque on period instruments. They had no idea what a positive reception awaited them. As Brooks explained, "It was a very exciting occasion for the prisoners. It was something new—a variety in their routine." But the performers soon realized that the concert clearly meant much more to their audience. As Merton put it, "The inmates were very appreciative, curious, and polite, and they wanted to listen. They talked to us about the meditative quality of the music, and of how it made them think of home; they were profoundly moved by the experience." One particularly articulate inmate described the occasion this way: "The harshest and most downtrodden among us here can usually respond to musical eloquence. The least traveled or educated can still discover something intangible about the cello or the violin or even the bassoon that touches a place we often forget is there." Taking its name from the Hindu deity of music and wisdom, Saraswathi, in combination with the Sanskrit rasa, meaning the essence of sound, Sarasa is flexible in size and draws on distinguished musicians from both sides of the Atlantic. The ensemble that traveled for three weeks in the summer of 1999 for a 16-concert tour of India consisted of Brooks and Merton, Rebecca Prosser on recorders, and harpsichordist Maggie Cole. They had a wonderful time and felt incredibly welcome wherever they went. They had excellent accommodations, mostly at guest houses (occasionally with private staff!), and a van and driver to transport them from one stop to the next. "I’m so glad [someone else] did the driving," declares Merton. "There were a lot of lethal roads." Touring small villages as well as larger cities such as Bombay, Madras, and Bangalore had its challenges. For practical reasons, Cole opted to play an electric harpsichord, though she found that the power had a tendency to fail when it rained. (Unaccustomed to the need for written music, the audience at one community center was quite surprised when the performers stopped when the electricity—and lights—went off.) On the other hand, the musicians enjoyed the informality of many of the concerts; not only was comfortable clothing encouraged, but bare feet were often the norm. The audiences were very respectful, particularly where there was little Western influence. Sarasa performed for a number of schools, and the players were struck by the long attention spans of the Indian children. "They are not as overstimulated as many Western kids are," says Merton, "and music is probably the most interesting thing to come along for a while. Maybe there’s more space for attention." In Cochin, the group played for nearly two hours for children with disabilities, who sat mesmerized on the floor. One of the high points of that concert was listening to a young boy with severe physical limitations take flight in song. The performers were amazed to find that despite a lack of access to or support for Western music, a number of Indians found ways to it—almost all on their own. Brooks enjoyed coaching a young violinist in Mysore, whom Cole accompanied. The tour also included performances at the Bapagram School in Bangalore, which was founded in 1949 at Mahatma Gandhi’s suggestion for the Dalit people, formerly called the "untouchable" caste. Sarasa also played at a Dalit community center. Both Merton and Brooks noticed that class structure in India was not a subject of conversation, and they guessed that the breaking down of the caste system is a very slow process. In all, Sarasa toured five Indian states, each with its own regional language. Since English is a common second tongue, they were able to explain the music and instruments without an interpreter at most of their concerts. What they discovered, furthermore, was the universality of music. "Music is fundamental as communication," Merton claims. "Playing for these audiences challenges us to get across what we’re doing. It makes us see the music differently because we hear it through their ears." Brooks adds that the experience made them realize that "there is so much important work to do. It is so rewarding to play where music is new and interesting. It switches one’s priorities around in a very productive way." Sarasa also plays to more traditional audiences; it is presenting a chamber-music series at the Friends’ Meeting House in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is planning a festival in Vermont for June 2000. For more information, contact Timothy Merton at 47 Maple Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139; phone and fax: (617) 492-4758; e-mail timerton@earthlink.net. The group’s new Web site can be found at www.Sarasa-music.com. Sarasa’s final Cambridge chamber-music concert of the season consists of Mozart and Brahms viola quintets and will be held on Sunday, April 16. —Sarah Freiberg
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