Bitterroot Baroque

Wow, it's been more than a month since I posted on this blog.  I, and we, have been extremely busy.  But, hey kids, we put on a show!! 

First, we invited high-school and middle-school students -- from Corvallis and Hamilton, Mt. -- to the Ravalli County Museum to meet Alex and three musicians who'd flown in from Seattle and San Francisco for the show. It would benefit the museum. But kids got a free "backstage pass" the day before.

A mix of kids and adults gathered to hear about Baroque music -- Alex's passion -- and cool old wooden instruments (or replicas, thereof) that were used -- and composed for -- in the 1700s in Europe.  For perspective, Lewis and Clark wouldn't trek through this part of Montana until a hundred years later, in 1805, to be exact.  And it wasn't until 1900 that laborers built the handsome old courthouse whose second-floor museum space became "concert central" for our purposes.

Seattle-based Baroque oboist Curtis Foster, right, is an old friend of ours from his days studying and playing at Indiana University in Bloomington, and sometimes in St. Louis. When Alex emailed him about wanting to have a Baroque concert in Hamilton, Curtis was all for it. The museum was, too, of course. Curtis recruited two of his favorite musicians -- Baroque violinist Linda Melsted, also of Seattle, and JungHae Kim, eminent harpsichordist from San Francisco.

The concert, needless to say, was a lot of work for everyone, principally for the constantly rehearsing musicians. Linda Melsted, above, not only plays gorgeous music but also talks brilliantly about her ancient, rebuilt instrument. JungHae Kim, left, played an Alex-built Neapolitan harpsichord, by the way.

And the concert itself was a huge success. We packed well over 120 people into that hall. They drank wine at intermission. They had desserts, more wine and chats with musicians afterwards. And Alex played flute or recorder on three of the nine pieces. We all sat around our coffee table at home afterwards, eating truly good sushi (donated by 2nd Street Sushi ) and talking about what a hoot the whole experience had been. (Two other local restaurants generously donated meals to musicians -- Taste of Paris and Sleeping Child Farms).

Alex, by the way, applauded right back at the enthusiastic crowd. Many were our friends and acquaintances. More were not. They'd read a sweet article about Alex and friends in the Ravalli Republic (http://www.ravallirepublic.com/entertainment/music/article_3d1ccc44-b907-11e2-8c58-0019bb2963f4.html) and were curious enough to spend $25 each to attend.

Baroque oboist Washington McClain was remembered at the concert. He had died suddenly in February and had been a friend, mentor or acquaintance to the musicians. Seattle composer Adam Haws wrote a modern piece for Baroque instruments that was in memory of McClain and it, too, got a rousing reception at the concert.

On the quirky side, a pup named Jasmine accompanied one woman guest.  While museum staffers were a little concerned, they didn't give her the boot. And she sat contentedly on her pillow next to her owner and in the front row -- and right next to me! She behaved beautifully. Only in Montana? What a wonderful evening.