Music filled the Rogue Valley a century ago as it does today! On Saturday Feb. 27, 2016 from 10am-12pm at the downtown Medford History Center of the Southern Oregon Historical Society, Stephen Bacon of Bellwood Violin will talk about three groups of Southern Oregon fiddle makers and show representative Chinese instruments that were used in the Valley at that time. Curious about other Chinese instruments? Stop in at the 2016 SOHS Annual Exhibit at the Rogue Valley Mall – Courage in the Golden Valley: Southern Oregon Chinese History. Both the Saturday Feb. 27 music lecture and the annual exhibit are free and open to the public.
Bacon will have on hand historic instruments commonly found in the 1800s Oregon and also bring an exotic 19th century European wire string-bowed instrument. The instrument was thought to be extinct, and is the only known instrument of its kind in the world. Bacon is a specialist in the restoration of historic instruments and is the conservator of the Schuman Collection of Musical Instruments at Southern Oregon University.
The Library and Archives at the SOHS History Center will be open for free research from 12pm-2pm following the Tales event.
About The Southern Oregon Historical Society: Since its inception in 1946, SOHS has made history come alive by collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories and artifacts of our common heritage. The Archives include many pioneer stories and also those of both later settlers and people born and raised here. For more information call, 541-773-6536 or www.sohs.org .