Abolition Drama, Music, and Exhibits Celebrate Inductions for the Public

Submitted by Dot Willsey

Hugh C. Humphreys of Hamilton has created a program based on the rousing, inspiring, magnificent rhetoric of Lewis Tappan and Theodore Dwight Weld, the 2009 inductees to the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro NY. The program will be presented in Golden Auditorium in Little Hall at Colgate University at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 24 by NAHOF Cabinet members Humphreys and Norman K. Dann, with stirring vocal accompaniment by Colgate Senior and Upstate Institute Fellow Moana Fogg. The dramatic presentation follows the nomination and induction of Tappan and Weld by relatives and associates. The official portrait for the Hall of Fame will also be unveiled. Rochester artist Joseph Flores has donated the two inductee portraits to NAHOF. The program is free and for the public.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24 the abolition exhibition hall will be open in the Clark Room at the James C. Colgate Student Union at Colgate University to the public at no charge. The exhibits will include a replica of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation from the New York State Library, the Abolition and Public Address Poster Exhibit created by sixteen Colgate students from Dr. Suzanne Spring’s Stand and Speak class, an exhibit by portrait artist Joseph Flores of Rochester NY, the NYS Fair 2009 NAHOF exhibit, Hall of Fame inductee banners, Colgate Bookstore sales, Smithfield Heritage Exhibit, Send the “Great Emancipator to Peterboro” display, and other information.

The public is also encouraged to attend the Sword of the Spirit Concert presented by Magpie that tells the story of the Harpers Ferry Raid on October 16, 1859 through vocal and instrumental arrangements. One week after their performances at Harpers Ferry for the National Park Service and five weeks before their programs in Lake Placid for John Brown Coming Home, Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino provide recognition of the sesquicentennial year of the action that sparked the Civil War. Sponsored by the Upstate Institute at Colgate University, The Sword of the Spirit song cycle has been likened to a folk opera or ballad opera. It traces, in song, the lives of abolitionists John Brown and his wife Mary as well as the experience of other characters in the drama that unfolded at Harpers Ferry October 16, 1859. While most of the songs in the concert are by Artzner and Leonino, songs were also contributed by Si Kahn, Kim and Reggie Harris, Woody Guthrie, and Peggy Eyres. Guthrie’s song is “The Ballad of Harriet Tubman.” Magpie has performed music of social and environmental relevance for more than 35 years. In the fall of 1998, the Washington Area Music Association awarded Greg and Terry the “Wammie” award as traditional folk duo of the year. They also received the 1999 Addy Award for their song, “Take Me Back to Harpers Ferry,” and their soundtrack for the video by the same title continuously shows at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park’s Visitor Center.

Magpie performed for the first NAHOF meeting in 2004, and those who attended the concert said that they could feel the personal commitment of the artists to the human rights ideas embodied in their songs. Having thoroughly researched the historical background of the issues in the songs they have written, Magpie’s presentation of the personalities involved invites the listener into the era and excites a hunger for more knowledge of the people and the issues they faced.

The program is an educational introduction to elementary students and adults alike. Five dollar admission. Free to students.

For more information www.AbolitionHoF.org 315-684-3262

Abolition Drama, Music, and Exhibits Celebrate Inductions for the Public

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