Héctor Alejandro Arzate
Lizzo is now the first person in 200 years to play President James Madison’s crystal flute.
“We just made history tonight,” said Lizzo during her Tuesday night concert at the Capital One Arena in D.C.
Last Friday, the singer and rapper was invited by the Library of Congress to check out their extensive flute collection ahead of her concert. Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, personally tweeted that Lizzo should play one while she’s in town.
“We would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week,” said Hayden in an earlier tweet. “Like your song they are ‘Good as hell.’”
The @librarycongress has the largest flute collection in the world with more than 1,800. It incl Pres James Madison’s 1813 crystal flute. @lizzo we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week. Like your song they are “Good as hell.”😉 pic.twitter.com/2FkUFZfIYh
— Carla Hayden (@LibnOfCongress) September 23, 2022
According to Hayden, it’s the largest flute collection in the world and includes the Founding Father’s crystal flute – which was made by French designer Claude Laurent in 1813. Home to more than 1,700 flutes, the Library of Congress’ Dayton C. Miller Flute Collection features instruments from all over the world dating as far back as the 16th Century.
I write about historic objects for a living. I sometimes refer to the “useful life” of an object, the time when it was used for its intended purpose, before it was a collectible, an objet d’art, a dust catcher.@lizzo just became a part of that useful life & part of its history. https://t.co/jxryDpMC70
— John Kraljevich (@JohnSpiroSpero) September 28, 2022
The crystal flute, which is one of the only two, was crafted by Laurent to honor Madison’s second inauguration. Known for his intricate designs, Laurent frequently gifted such items to kings and other heads of state, according to a blog post from the Library of Congress. It’s also speculated that Madison’s crystal flute was among the items – including a portrait of George Washington – saved by Dolley Madison when the British set the White House aflame during the War of 1812.
Lizzo, who began training as a classical flutist at the age of 10 and also studied the instrument in college, was excited to pick up the relic and play a few notes for fans.
“Bitch, I just twerked and played James Madison’s flute from the 1800s,” said the three-time Grammy winner in a video posted to her Instagram. “Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving our history and making history cool. History is freaking cool, you guys!”
