Internationally acclaimed musician Lauren Pelon will appear in a unique concert at McAlester Public Library, 401 North 2nd, on Friday, February 16 at 7p.m. This after-hours event is sponsored by Friends of the Library of McAlester
Under the title, The Living Roots of Music, Pelon will trace the story of music and perform music from around the world on archlute, guitar, lute-guitar, lyre, recorders, gemshorns, cornamuse, krummhorn, schreierpfeife, shawm, rackett, pennywhistles, concertina, ocarina,hurdy-gurdy, bowed psaltery, Kiowa courting flute, eagle bone flute, electric wind instrument and MIDI-pedalboard.
Pelon is a vocalist as well, and her original songs and ancient ballads have been especially appealing to audiences.
A Michigan reviewer wrote, “Lauren Pelon is a showpiece by virtue of her beautiful, fervent voice and her extraordinary talents on an assortment of unusual, but authentic instruments.”
McAlester Head Librarian Kathy McGilberry said, “I had the change to hear Pelon’s voice and instrumentation while helping the Friends of the Library book this concert. She is indeed a gifted singer, player and music historian.”
Pelon has performed throughout the U.S. and in China, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Australia and New Zealand. She is noted for her versatile use of a diverse array of instruments. She has also won recognition for her soprano voice, and for her compelling compositions and arrangements of music from many countries and cultures.
She has performed with symphony orchestras, The Philadelphia String Quartet, on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” and at the Russian Institute for the History of the Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was the recipient of the 2001 “Artist of the Year” award from The Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council. More recently, she received a 2010 Artist Initiative Award and 2014 Arts Tour Minnesota Grant Award from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
“I am fascinated by the interesting ways people of other cultures and different times have foundto make music,” says Pelon. “I especially enjoy doing these programs because they differ from ordinary concert performances. They offer not only an opportunity to listen to music, but also a way to think about how music has affected the lives of people all over the world — from ancient times to our own modern day.”
Pelon’s current program melds her own original compositions with her arrangements of music from ancient Greece, medieval Europe, and contemporary Africa and Middle East.
William Kearns, American Music Research Center, Boulder, Colorado, called the program “captivating and awesome.” A reviewer for The Canberra Times, Australia wrote, “Lauren Pelon has devised a unique evening of entertainment by combining a wide variety of music from many centuries…Her versatility with more than 25 instruments, including voice, is admirable…an experience made all the more pleasant by Pelon’s relaxed and warm presentation of the rare and unusual.
This concert is presented by Friends of the McAlester Public Library. Admission is free. The program will take place after the regular operating hours of the library, so volunteers will man the doors to allow the audience to enter and exit.
“We are so pleased to be part of bringing another special cultural program to McAlester,” said McGilberry. “Without our Friends group and others who help fund library programs such as this one, our community would be much fortunate. We hope everyone will make a special effort to attend this program. What a great opportunity for our community!”
For more information, please call (918) 426-0930. Anyone interested in joining the Friends of the Library should attend any of their regular meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at noon, or pick up a brochure at the front desk of the library.
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