May 18th 2010: Midsummer Music - Introducing Roughly Hewn
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 2:00PM This summer, Willamette Shakespeare has the good fortune to be sharing the stage with Newberg-based Celtic band Roughly Hewn. Those of you can't wait until the August production of A Midsummer Night's Dream to hear them, have two upcoming opportunities to catch them. In addition to playing at the Willamette Shakespeare Preview Party and Fundraiser on June 3rd at Stoller Vineyard, the band will be playing on Friday May 21st at The Coffee Cottage at 808 E Hancock in Newberg from 8 - 9:30 PM. More information is available at their Facebook event page.
Roughly Hewn is a force to be reckoned with in Yamhill County. This group of talented 
multi-instrumentalists produces a unique, engaging kind of music: a fusion of Celtic Traditional with elements of jazz and rock. The driving rhythm section and aggressive strings complement the lilting voices and flute.
The group initially formed in 1998 as a group of friends enjoying playing music together. Soon Roughly Hewn had a name and places to play, such as weddings, parties, coffeehouses and festivals. Their first album, the Grey Dawn, came out in 2004. The current group consists of original members Sean Boyle (guitar, bass and vocals), Gordon Hall (violin, viola, bouzouki, mandolin), and Sally Mehler (flutes, whistles, and vocals), as well as Joia Otto (violin and viola), Joshua Toole (drums, harmonium, guitar, and vocals), and Todd Harris (drums). Each member contributes to the arrangements of the songs and instrumentals.
The band fell in our lap. For some time, I had the idea of scoring "Dream" with 
music from the British Isles, but didn't have a clue where to find a band or music director. When Todd Harris, Head of the Lower School at Veritas in Newberg and a percussionist with the group, brought Roughly Hewn to my attention, it seemed like a perfect fit.
While the core of the show's music will be based in traditional Irish music, Roughly Hewn's musical versatility provides additional options. We hope to produce a recognizable musical theme (or leitmotif) for each faction of characters (Ancient Greeks, Faeries, Mechanicals). When the music begins to play, the audience gets a short aural introduction to the scene and a little head-start on the story. The music will also provide more emotional support to the action. The productions that have provided the most stirring theatrical experiences of my life have had scores which beautifully complemented the play, lifting it beyond what words can do alone.
-- Daniel
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