Morrison leaves legacy on local music festival

The vibrant sounds of the 15th annual Baroque Music Festival filled the nearly packed convert pavilion and entertained the attendees at Quinn's Hot Springs Resort. The festival lasted three days and featured a total of 10 different performers. Guests were provided complimentary water and iced tea as well as soda, beer and wine for purchase. Each night there was a live auction for exclusive items such as a three-day sailing cruise for two in the San Juan Islands. There was also an ongoing silent auction for four donated items.

Baroque music is a style of western art originating in 1600 to the 1750s. During the Baroque era, professional musicians were expected to be accomplished improvisers of both solo melodic lines and accompaniment parts. A characteristic of Baroque form was the "dance suite." While the pieces in a dance suite were inspired by actual dance music, dance suites were designed purely for listening, not for accompanying dancers.

Jean Morrison, President of the Clark Fork Valley Enrichment Corporation, has made a special mark on the festival ever since she got the ball rolling in 2003. Morrison had received a call from her friend Janet Haarvig, who plays the cello, in Proctor, Montana. Haarvig and her husband had met world-renowned violinist, Monica Huggett, who had gotten lost on her cycling trip to Spokane, Washington. Morrison was willing to house Huggett when she passed through Plains and the two clicked right away. Huggett was enthralled by the scenery and thought it would be interesting to "concertize in the forest."

This gave Morrison an idea; she thought that Quinn's Hot Springs would be a great location for music. With the help of Huggett's musical contacts and Hot Springs General Manager Denise Moreth, the first Montana Baroque Music Festival took place in August 2004.

Morrison has enjoyed her experiences in the last 15 years but will be stepping down from the Festival and leaving it in "good hands" with Denise Moreth. One of the most important messages that Morrison could leave people with from over the years is that "if you have a good idea, think about it for about two seconds and then run with it." Morrison's "can-do" attitude has left an impact on everyone she meets. With a dream to inspire people with the beauty of music and also encourage people to take chances on things they value, Morrison has had great success with the Montana Baroque Music Festival.