Publisher's Synopsis
Would you be a brave hero and resist if a foreign power came to your neighborhood and told you that they were now in charge, you would have to move to a very small camp, change your language, your religion, your work, your music... every aspect of your way of life? My new opera is entitled Qualchan, based on the 1917 public domain book Kamiakin, The Last Hero of the Yakimas, by A.J. Splawn and my instrumental music CD entitled Qualchan. This epic story tells of Qualchan, the "bravest of all the warriors" whose Uncle Kamiakin formed the Yakama Nation's Confederation of Tribes. These people waged a three-year war from 1855 to 1858 against the US Army's takeover of the land and native people of the Pacific Northwest. Interspersed with the tales of the conflict are romantic scenes of Qualchan courting his wife Whist-alks. This story is extremely relevant today because we continually repeat the mistake of aggressively dominating indigenous cultures around the world. We can only avoid future mistakes if we are educated on our past mistakes. Please check out my website at EdwardsMusicSite.com. I have orchestrated this piece for piano, some strings, melody, and lyrics. I would like to orchestrate the work to fit your resources. The Qualchan Opera is a full-length, 31 cast production (with many doubling possibilities). Please contact me at gedward@roadrunner.com with any questions you may have about this project.
