The Portland Chamber Orchestra, Yaacov Bergman, music director, will feature a concert in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Orchestra, as well as the 150th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark College. On April 22 and 23rd, the orchestra will perform the Chief Joseph Legend for Baritone and orchestra, by John Verrall. Richard Zeller will be the Baritone soloist with the Lewis and Clark College Choir; Katherine FitzGibbon, Director.
Chief Joseph or Young Joseph (March 3, 1840 September 21, 1904), succeeded his father Tuekakas (Chief Joseph the Elder) as the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa) band of Nez Perce, a Native American tribe indigenous to the Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon. In 1873, Joseph negotiated with the federal government to ensure his people could stay on their land in the Wallowa Valley. But in 1877, the government reversed its policy, and Army General Oliver Howard threatened to attack if the Wallowa band did not relocate to the Idaho Reservation with the other Nez Perce.