[BobbyB]

Poem set to music premiers at PSU

By ERIN PLUMMER
eplummer@citizen.com


Article Date: Sunday, April 20, 2008
PLYMOUTH — Jonathan Santore and Jane Babin were both working for Plymouth State University when they became friends through their children. Babin now faces the challenges of Lou Gehrig's Disease and Santore has set to music a poem about her experiences.

That piece premiered at Saturday's concert of the Plymouth State Chamber Singers.

The performance featured "Forgetting", the poem by the Laconia-based Babin with music by Santore, a professor of music at PSU.

"Jane is a personal friend," Santore said. The two both worked at PSU — Santore in the music department and Babin in the business department, though they knew each other through their children.

"Our sons are the same age and attended a child development and learning center at PSU," Santore said.

In 2004, Babin was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and retired from the school a year later. She became a speaker on patients' rights for groups such as doctors and patients. Babin also took up writing as part of her advocacy and wrote the book "Pearls in the Pond" about her experiences.

Santore was inspired to compose a song based on one of her poems after a conversation with mutual friend Richard Sparks from PSU's business department.

After going through the book, he chose "Forgetting" which especially touched him.

"You spend a lot of time living with the work," he said. "How does the rhythm go? How are you going to translate the spoken rhythm on the poem?"

Saturday marks the world premiere of "Forgetting" as a song. Santore said Babin, who is in the advanced stages of the disease, has not yet heard the song.

"It's certainly my intention to write something that I hope will give her pleasure," he said.

Santore has also adapted other writings into music, including a work by abolitionist writer Nathaniel Rogers and a poem about Sept. 11 by PSU English professor Liz Ahl. The two songs will be performed at other events around the state.

All the songs were also done with the assistance of music professor and chorale director Dan Perkins.

Saturday's concert by the Plymouth State Chamber Singers also featured the PSU Contemporary Dance Ensemble and the Plymouth State Chorale under Perkin's direction. The concert centered on Mark Wilberg's "Dances to Life" and featured music by Brahms and other composers.

"It's going to be a really wonderful fusion, multimedia concert," Santore said prior to the event.

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