Ļć½¶Ö±²„Librariesā Gatsby Gala, Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival enter second decade
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.āFor the 11th consecutive year, the Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival is bringing the spirit of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to Ļć½¶Ö±²„ās Mitchell Memorial Library March 30-April 1.
This yearās activities begin on the 30th at 6 p.m. with the popular Gatsby Gala fashion show. Members of the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Fashion Board will model approximately 20-30 creations inspired by the 1920s. Patrons are encouraged to dress in 1920s attire for the event.
Charles Freeman, Ļć½¶Ö±²„assistant professor of fashion design and merchandising and university Fashion Board adviser, said the original garment designs are created by Ļć½¶Ö±²„students enrolled in freshman through senior-level design courses taught by Catherine Black, a visiting professor in fashion design and merchandising.
The School of Human Sciences also will sponsor a historic exhibit in the libraryās third-floor John Grisham Room featuring 1920s apparel and accessories.
Under the guidance of adviser Lynette McDougald, members of the universityās Student Chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers will gain hands-on experience while decorating the library with floral designs popular in the 1920s.Ā
Jeff Barnhart of Mystic, Connecticut, returning festival solo artist and artistic director, will provide music for the Gala.
Daytime events, including interactive tours, informative talks, āmeet the artistā segments and educational seminars, take place in the Templeton Music Museum of Mitchell Memorial Library, located at the southeast corner of the universityās historic Drill Field.
As in years past, Barnhart will provide daytime silent film showings featuring live piano accompaniment. He will present an exclusive showing of āThe Marriage Clauseā that he assembled using clips housed at the Library of Congress.
According to Barnhart, prominent director and producer Lois Weberās 1926 extravaganza āThe Marriage Clauseā only exists in partial form. He will explain how he came to possess the film.
Additionally, patrons will have the opportunity to watch the final 25 minutes of Buster Keatonās 1925 classic āSeven Chances,ā which showcases an entirely different marriage clause with what Barnhart calls āhysterical results.ā
The festivalās evening concerts will be held in the main theater at McComas Hall.
Admission to the Gatsby Gala is free. General admission fees range from $50 each for all other festival events to $10 each for the evening concerts, with lesser fees for senior citizens and retired Ļć½¶Ö±²„faculty and staff members. Ļć½¶Ö±²„students with current identification cards attend free.
An event schedule, registration and credit card ticket purchase information may be found online at . Checks payable to Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries should be mailed to Templeton Festival, Ļć½¶Ö±²„ Libraries, P.O. Box 5408, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
The 2017 festival performers include:
āDan Levinsonās Roof Garden Jass Band, the only band in existence devoted exclusively to the neglected era in musical historyāroughly 1917 to 1923āwhen ragtime was transitioning into jazz. The bandās repertoire consists of note-for-note re-creations of early jazz recordings made by pioneering bands. In addition to Levinson on reeds, the band includes Mike Davis, trumpet; Matt Musselman, trombone; Jeff Barnhart, piano; and Kevin Dorn, drums. For more, visit .
āBrian Holland, an internationally renowned pianist, composer, recording artist and entertainer who has enjoyed a music career spanning more than 35 years. After spending his formative years playing in pizza parlors and clubs throughout Indiana, Hollandās career flourished when he discovered the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest. In 1999, he won his third title and retired as āundefeated.ā In addition to playing with some of the hottest jazz bands in the U.S., Holland has performed his creative styles of jazz, ragtime, stride, boogie and blues around the world.
āJeff Barnhart, an internationally renowned pianist, vocalist, arranger, bandleader, recording artist, composer, educator and entertainer who began his professional career at age 14 in his home state of Connecticut. Along with international performances as a soloist and band pianist, Barnhart co-leads āIvory&Goldā with his wife, flutist Anne Barnhart. With performances celebrating American jazz, blues, ragtime, Broadway and hits from the Great American Songbook, the musical duo has become a mainstay at jazz and ragtime festivals throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom. For more, visit or .
Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries Associate Dean Stephen Cunetto said this year marks the 100th anniversary of African American composer and pianist Scott Joplinās death and also commemorates the first jazz recording.
In addition to Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries and the universityās School of Human Sciences, this yearās festival sponsors include MaxxSouth Broadband, Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Mississippi Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information, visit , telephone 662-325-6634 or email ragtimefestival@library.msstate.edu. Follow the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries on Facebook @msulibrary and Twitter @msu_libraries. Ā Ā
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .