Seeley Swan Pathfinder -

SEELEY LAKE - Nearly 100 people attended the free choir concert at Seeley-Swan High School Auditorium on Tuesday, July 16. The concert kicked off the four-day International Choral Festival in Missoula that is held once every three years.

The performance brought Dagilėlis, a Lithuian boys choir, and the Batavia Madrigal Singers from Indonesia to Seeley Lake. The event was sponsored by the festival as part of its Outreach program. The Outreach Program is devoted to bringing culture into Montana towns.

"I attended the concert because I love music and live performances are a rare treat," wrote Seeley Lake resident Samantha Arroyo in an email to the Pathfinder. "It was an opportunity to sneak away with my mom and share a special moment with her, knowing her enjoyment matches my own."

Singers from Dagilėlis walked into the auditorium, single-file and surrounded the audience to perform its first song. The singers' voices combined together and wrapped the audience in a variety of tonalities.

"My favorite number was, hands down, the opening number for the boy's choir," wrote Arroyo. "The hair stood up on the back of my neck. It was so beautiful. I held my breath, closed my eyes and just listened."

Skylar Rispens, Pathfinder

A member of the Batavia Madrigal Singers dances to a traditional Indonesian song at the Outreach Concert in Seeley Lake

At one point, the boys choir made noises mimicking the beginning of a rain storm and slowly built into a full-fledged rain forest erupting into a cacophony of monkeys, birds and other animals.

After Dagilėlis' performance, the Batavia Madrigal Singers entered the auditorium in traditional clothing. Many of the group's songs represented the group's diverse culture and history.

The group performed in a variety of formations, both on and off stage. The off stage performances offered the audience a unique opportunity to be up-close to the Indonesian culture displayed by the choir.

About mid-way into the performance the group sang a rendition of "What a Wonderful World."

"That's a representation of how we feel coming together with these choirs from all around the world," explained one of the Batavia Madrigal Singers to the audience.