1 of 2
Photo by Tarina Westlund
2 of 2
Photo by Tarina Westlund
Pop artists of today have been transforming and redefining old songs with dance beats and synthesizers for years, but it’s far less common to hear new music transformed to sound classical. Portland Cello Project, with renditions of popular songs, using primarily cellos and percussion, has managed to do exactly that, extending the accessibility of cello performance to a younger generation. The group, often nicknamed "PCP" by its fans, is coming to Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room on October 25.
Since Portland Cello Project was formed in 2006, the group has gained a reputation for transcending musical genres and setting a new standard for what live cello performance entails in the contemporary music scene. Even so, the members of the group, which rotate depending on availability for performances and touring, are all classically trained musicians with outside careers in performance and teaching. The vast repertoire for PCP, including over 1,000 pieces, maintains a wide variety of classical works to showcase the members’ technical prowess and appeal to those who appreciate a traditional live cello performance.
But, of course, what separates PCP from other cello ensembles and what’s bringing these cello players to a casual venue like Blueberry Hill is the group’s talent for modernizing cello music. A few examples of PCP’s pop renditions include cello makeovers of Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off,” Radiohead’s “Karma Police” and Florence + the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over.”
Diane Chaplin, one of PCP’s cellists, reached out to the group after moving to Portland from NYC, once she’d heard that they were playing some eccentric covers.
“To a certain extent, PCP is about being more ‘in the moment’ than you would be if you were playing Beethoven,” Chaplin says. “There’s a lot of flexibility involved. I might be hearing something going on, and maybe I decide to modify my own part to blend with what I hear. You have to be brave and open to improvisation—it’s a different skill than learning how to play classical music exactly how it was written.”
Different skills, but not mutually exclusive. The group adjusts its set list depending on the venue and expected demographic of the audience, focusing on classical songs while playing a private club, for example, and percussion-heavy arrangements while playing at a summer music festival. Even so, Chaplin says, “sometimes, we just don’t tell older crowds that we’re going to be playing pop music. A lot of people who would never listen to hip-hop music might enjoy a rendition of a Kanye song done with just cellos and drums.”
According to Chaplin, most music has some amount of familiar harmonic progression and similar chords, just arranged in different orders, and sometimes with beats overlaid on top. The similarities make unique cello arrangements possible.
This year’s tour highlights PCP’s most recent album, to e.s., named for Elliot Smith, a Portland singer-songwriter with strong ties to the Cello Project before he passed in 2003.
“The Elliot Smith songs on the new album sound great on cellos,” Chaplin says, “They aren’t super pop-y, but they have an indie sensibility. There’s a kind of mellowness in his songs, in general, so people of all ages enjoy them.”
PCP's performance at Blueberry Hill will also include jazz tunes from Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck, original songs written by Portland Cello Project members, a few light classical pieces and a few surprises. The cello ensemble will include percussion and most likely a collaboration with a singer or two, although Chaplin did not release any names.
Portland Cello Project will perform at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room on October 25 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $17.50 at the door, and there is a $2 surcharge for minors. For more information, please visit blueberryhill.com or call 314-727-4444.
