This Friday is the debut concert of the High Desert String Quartet, with proceeds to benefit Rosa Sabido and the sanctuary movement in Mancos.
The concert will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Mancos United Methodist Church, 470 Grand Ave.
Tickets are available on a sliding scale: from $10 to $50 in advance, or from $15 to $50 at the door. A suggested donation is $25.
Advance tickets can be purchased at Zuma Natural Foods in Mancos. The newly formed quartet will be playing Dvorak No. 12 in F major (“American”) and Mendelssohn Quartet in E flat major Op. 12.
The group will include Annie Seder and Kris Abrams on the violins, Tonilyn Saletta on the viola, and Dani Long on the cello. The musicians will share some background information on each piece, and also provide context relevant to the present day.
“Our desire to take something we love – classical music – and share it with the community, in order to make our community a better place,” Seder said.
All funds raised from the concert will directly support Sabido’s bills and personal expenses incurred while living in sanctuary, Seder added.
The Rosa Belongs Here sanctuary movement supports Rosa Sabido, who has been residing at the Methodist church since June 2017, after her application for a one-year stay of removal was denied by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sabido, who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years, is one of a handful of Colorado women seeking sanctuary in a church to avoid deportation and has become a renowned national figure in her advocacy for immigrants’ rights.