Nelda Swiggett Quintet - "For the Birds"

Suggested Donation $10 - $20 / Students $5

Olympic Climate Action is host​ing For the Birds, a multimedia jazz performance that connects audiences emotionally to the realities of climate change and carries a message of hope. You may have attended “The Alaska Suite,” performed by the Nelda Swiggett Quintet, in 2023. They are back for a second tour with an all new concert! This performance tells the climate story through the lens of birds.

In addition to the 2 pm concert in Port Angeles, For the Birds will be performed at 7 pm that same day at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Port Townsend. .

Featuring Nelda Swiggett (piano, compositions), Clif Swiggett (trombone), Sidney Hauser (saxophone, flute), Chris Symer (bass), Adam Kessler (drums), and the poetry of Jill McGrath.

About the Composer

Nelda Swiggett has been a vibrant force in the Pacific Northwest jazz scene since the early‬ 1990s. Her compositions blend jazz with Afro-Cuban, gospel and classical influences, creating a distinctive and‬ engaging sound. Her ensembles, including her trio, quintet, and sextet, have graced stages at Dimitriou’s‬‭ Jazz Alley, Bumbershoot, and the Earshot Jazz Festival.

On Earth Day 2017, Nelda debuted her first climate-themed work, The Alaska Suite: a story of beauty, loss and hope. This piece was performed 36 times across Washington State, touching nearly 2500 people with its message of hope and call to action. Building on the success of the Alaska Suite, Nelda debuted her new climate piece, For the Birds, in September 2024.

Feedback about the Climate Concerts

“… wonderfully inspiring… The content was informative without being preachy, the music was magical…” — Gail M.

“Wow! So powerful, beautiful, sad, and mournful, but buoyant, hopeful, and joyful too. I love that it ended with a sense of gratitude and optimism. I was moved and inspired...” — Andrew Miracle

“You will learn things you didn't know about birds and about climate change and what you can do about it. Eye opening and uplifting.” — Maggi Johnson

“For the Birds” is really truly a powerful, powerful piece. We humans of course are affected by amazing works of art in the moment, when we are listening or viewing. But “For the Birds” has stayed with me for days. It landed very deeply with me and I know it did with others as well. — Kim Maguire

“… spliced with a dialogue about climate science and solutions. It touches the emotional edges of our understanding and invites action from a deeper place.” — Louise Stonington

​”… the quintet’s performance was stellar.​.. ​ Many in the audience told us the haunting music and urgent message both moved them and motivated them to become more involved in climate activism.​” — Keith Ervin, chair of Green Buildings Now

Financial Sponsors include Frederickson Electric/Cascadia Solar, Power Trip Energy Corp, Jefferson County Public Utility District, GreenPod Design, and Wild Birds Unlimited.

Partners include Rainshadow Bird Alliance, Jefferson Land Trust and the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society.

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Host or Publisher Olympic Climate Action