Black Angels at Grace Cathedral

Friction Quartet performs composer George Crumb’s iconic Black Angels for amplified string quartet and unconventional instruments, including tam-tams and crystal glasses. Subtitled “Thirteen Images from the Dark Land,” the piece is a poignant commentary on the turmoil of the Vietnam War and a ritual-like exploration of the battle between iniquity and reclamation. Friction will also perform Max Stoffregen’s California Crest—a reflective musical journey of the Pacific Coast Trail that spans California’s unique landscape—and Ursula Kwong Brown’s Emerald Meditations, inspired by the impressiveness of Thailand’s Emerald Buddha statue, the worshippers kneeling in prayer and the moment of peace even a nonbeliever found in its presence.