Missouri Classical Music News and Notes

What happened to change the punctilious Kapilow so drastically that he was willing to delay the completion of a promised work?

It began with a conversation in the spring of 2003 with Robert Archibald, who heads the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. The historian suggested that the composer meet with the Bicentennial's Circle of Tribal Advisers, which represents 35 of the tribes encountered by Lewis and Clark during their voyage.

The meeting with the circle propelled Kapilow into new realms of self-discovery. It turned out the American Indian leaders weren't exactly thrilled about his symphony.

At the heart of Rob Kapilow's “Summer Sun, Winter Moon,” which receives its premiere today at the Carlsen Center, is the libretto — a subtle poem of yearning and loss.

The author is Darrell Robes Kipp, a member of the Am Ska Pee PeeKunee/Far Off Spotted Robes, known today as the Blackfeet tribe of Montana.