Dr. Christopher Bursk (Credit: BCCC)
The voice of the late Dr. Christopher Bursk lives on in the hundreds of poems he wrote over many years. But for the first time, that voice will be heard in song on April 25 at Bucks County Community College, where he taught for nearly five decades until his passing in 2021.
That’s when the College’s Cultural Affairs Committee presents “Bursk’s Works: An evening of Poetry and Music to Celebrate the Life and Works of Dr. Christopher Bursk” at 7:30 p.m. in the Zlock Performing Arts Center.
Music Professor Jeff Baumeister used a sabbatical project to compose songs based on the poetry of the beloved Bucks professor, mentor and poet. He said the idea came to him suddenly, before he’d even read any of Bursk’s poetry.
“I love all music and have written several jazz pieces, but I wanted to venture more into writing rock songs,” Baumeister recalled.
“Out of the blue, as I was writing a sabbatical proposal to help me do this, Chris Bursk popped into my head. Maybe it was his recent passing, but I didn’t know Chris very well. I decided to propose the idea of writing songs based on his poems,” said Baumeister. “After I received word that my sabbatical was approved, I went to the library and checked out some of Chris’s books. The Bursk’s Works concert is the outcome.”
A recipient of NEA, Guggenheim, and Pew Fellowships, Bursk (1943 - 2021) was the author of 18 books including his final, “With Aeneas in a Time of Plague” (Ragged Sky Press, 2021). He was grateful to have had his writing recognized by the AWP Donald Hall Poetry Prize, the Allen Ginsberg 49th Parallel Awards, and the Milt Kessler Book Award, among others, but most importantly, to have been the proud grandfather of six.
Baumeister says the songs are a mix of styles, including rock, funk, jazz, folk, and gospel. In addition to Baumeister on piano, the concert features faculty and alumni from the School of Arts and Communication as musicians and vocalists. Typography students from Professor Michael Kabbash’s class have visually interpreted the words to some of Bursk’s poems, which will be projected during the concert.
Bucks County Poet Laureate Lake Angela will perform a dance she choreographed to one of the songs, joined by Bucks dance students. Volunteers from the Volta Center for Writing Arts will be selling Bursk’s books during intermission, and each purchase includes a limited-edition 3-D printed bookmark to commemorate the event.
Tickets for “Bursk’s Works” can be purchased online at bucks.edu/tickets for $12 each, including fees. All proceeds from ticket and book sales benefit the Keri Barber Scholarship Fund, where Bursk had requested donations in his honor to be contributed.
The Zlock Performing Arts Center is located on the Newtown Campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking. For a campus map and directions, visit bucks.edu/newtown.
About Bucks County Community College
Founded in 1964, Bucks County Community College is a two-year, public institution offering more than 90 programs of study that lead to either an associate degree or certificate, as well as many workforce training programs on campus, on site, or online. Successful graduates directly launch a career or transfer to four-year colleges and universities to complete a bachelor’s degree, depending on the major. Classes are offered on campus in Newtown, Bristol, and Perkasie, and worldwide through Bucks Online. To learn more, visit bucks.edu.
