The Peoples’ Center goes baroque

By Lailani Upham

Baroque Players open with a 1720 piece by Antonio Vivaldi. All players are from around the world and country. The group gradually grew over the years, from four players in 2004 to nine this year. (Lailani Upham photo)

PABLO — The Peoples’ Center hosted a free outdoor musical exchange concert with baroque music along with native drumming and flute music last week. The annual exchange concerts hope to bring awareness of differences and similarities in music and culture, according to Marie Torosian, The People’s Center education director.

Tribal Fish and Game Officer Mike McElderry picked up the flute five years ago as an instrument of prayer. McElderry explains to the crowd when he plays the flute it shows what's in the heart. (Lailani Upham photo)

The musical exchange was part of the sixth annual Baroque Music Festival, a three-day outdoor concert held at Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort near Paradise. The event was a showcase of highly regarded national and international Baroque players sponsored by Sanders County Arts Council.

The Arts Council organizes such events to enrich lives, according to Treasurer Jean Morrison. She noted in her opening remarks that a collaboration of different music transcend universal ground and mutual understanding to help people learn more of one another.

Violinist Adam Lamotte, has been hailed by critics as an "especially compelling," musical artist. Lamotte performs a Jean Marie Le Claire piece from the 18th Century with violinist Greg Ewer for the crowd. Prior to the song, Lamotte explains to listen carefully and the piece will have a sound of four violins playing at once. (Lailani Upham photo)

Flute builder Ken Light of Arlee took the floor to perform an old recording from the Lakota. He explained the flute for the Lakota was used for courting purposes.

Recorder and flutist Matthias Maute had a shot at playing a duet with Light on one of his hand-made native flutes. “It was a different kind of blow with less holes for the fingers,” Maute said. It was a bit of a challenge for Maute but yet no stranger to him.

Local drum group Native Heart conducted the Flag Song for the people and additional tunes for the dancers. The group’s lead singer, Glen Parker, explained to the crowd and baroque musicians, “When we sing, we keep our culture going.”

Sisters Louetta Conko-Camel, 17, and Daryl Conko-Camel, 13, enter the circle to exhibit an intertribal dance for the audience and musicians on a beautiful, hot Wednesday afternoon at The People's Center. (Lailani Upham photo)

It is the second year The People’s Center has hosted the cultural music exchange. They hope to expand it to possibly twice a year, and bring opera singers in for next year according to Torosian.