Singer-songwriter Robin Holcomb kicks off a full season of intimate performances in FlynnSpace when she brings O Say a Sunset to Vermont for three special evening performances on Thursday, October 2 through Saturday, October 4 at 8 PM. In addition, Holcomb will lead a songwriting workshop at the Flynn Center on Saturday, October 4 at 2 PM (Pre-registration required). A free environmental panel discussion will take place Tuesday, September 30 at 7 PM in the Amy E. Tarrant Gallery (call 802-652-4500 for more information). “One of the most distinctive voices in pop music” (Stereophile), Holcomb focuses her “utterly original vision” (Entertainment Weekly) on the fascinating life on environmentalist Rachel Carson, whose landmark book Silent Spring marks the 50th anniversary of its publication this year. Written by Holcomb and co-commissioned by the Flynn and Dartmouth College, O Say a Sunset is a staged song cycle incorporating gorgeoud music, spoken word, theater, puppetry, and video projections. Performed by Holcomb, her band, and two actresses, the work traces the path from desire to public action as reflected in Carson’s life and work. Holcomb (vocals, piano) is joined by Doug Wieselman (clarinet, guitar), Eyvind Kang (viola), Aiko Shimada (vocals), and Britta Johnson, who is creating a film element for the piece. Holcomb has forged her art through rich and varied musical experiences, from her involvement with New York’s downtown jazz scene, country music, chamber ensembles, musical theater, and Indonesian gamelan orchestras to her development of a highly individualistic piano style. Equally influenced by popular, folk, contemporary classical, and avant-garde music, she synthesizes all of these seemingly disparate musical elements into something truly her own. Holcomb has collaborated with celebrated contemporary musicians including Bill Frisell, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Danny Barnes, and Wayne Horvitz. Her newest release, The Big Time, is the latest in a string of critically acclaimed recordings on the prestigious Nonesuch label. Presented in association with the University of Vermont’s Initiatives for Diversity, this FlynnSpace performance is sponsored by Chesse Traders and Wine Sellers with media support from Seven Days. The presentation of Robin Holcomb is one of a series of programs designed by the National Performance Network (NPN). NPN is an independent organization begun by Dance Theater Workshop and comprised of artists and artsorganizations in 40 cities across 25 states. NPN is made possible through major funding from he Doris Duke Chariitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency). For further information, visit the NPN website at www.npnweb.org or write: National Performance Network, P.O. NBox 7435, New Orleans, LA 70712. Additonal funding for Robin Holcomb provided by the Ford Foundation, s part of a special five-year challenge grant and program, New Directions/New Donors for the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Courtney and Victoria Buffum Family Foundation; and JazzNat, a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Flynn Pre-Performance Lectures are funded in part by the Vermont Humanities Council. Produced by House of Danes Productions in conjunction with Dance Theatre Workshop, O Say a Sunset is a co-commissioning project by Dance Theatre Worshop in partnership with the Walker Arts Center, the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College, and the National Performance Network Ceration Fund. The Creation Fund is sponsored by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Altria Group, Inc. This work was created in part during a Centrum Creative Residency, whose programs provide support for generative artists. The project was made possible with the support of On the Boards, the Allen Foundation for the Arts, Artist Trust, and The Seattle Arts Commission. Sponsored by Jack Straw Productions.Ticket Information Tickets for this performance are $20 for adults and $16 for students and are available in person at the FlynnTix Regional Box Office window at 153 Main Street, Burlington; by calling 86-FLYNN ( 802-863-5966); or on-line through the Flynn web site at www.flynncenter.org. Flynn members at the Contributor level and above save 10% and groups of 20 or more save 20%. Box Office hours are Monday -Friday, 10 Am to 5 PM, Saturday, 11 AM to 4 PM; on MainStage show days from opening to curtain time; and on days of FlynnSpace shows the box office reopens a half hour prior to show. Tickets are also available in erson at Copy Ship Fax Plus in Essex Junction.- Press Release