Arts, Dining & Entertainment

Middlebury College’s Francois Clemmons discusses and performs negro spirituals at Rutland library

Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.—RUTLAND—Middlebury College Artist-in-Residence Dr. Francois Clemmons will illustrate how the negro spiritual grew out of slaves’ experiences in a special performance lecture at Rutland Free Library on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. The event, “If You Don’t Want Your Slave to Speak Freely, You Should Also Forbid Him to Sing!” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays lecture series and is free and open to the public.

Dr. Clemmons is the Alexander Twilight Artist-In-Residence at Middlebury College.  As gounder/director of the world-famous Harlem Spiritual Ensemble, he performs regularly throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, carrying on his vision for preserving, sustaining and commissioning new and traditional arrangements of American negro spirituals for future generations. In honor of his work with the American negro spiritual in lecture demonstrations, recitals, and master classes as well as his teaching at Middlebury College, Dr. Clemmons received a lifetime achievement award from Carnegie-Mellon University in 2004.

The Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays series is held on the first Wednesday of every month from October through May in nine communities statewide, featuring speakers of national and regional renown. Talks in Rutland are held at Rutland Free Library unless otherwise noted. All First Wednesdays talks are free and open to the public.

For more information, call 802-773-1860 or visit vermonthumanities.org.

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