Arts & Lifestyle
Of Interest ...
Salem Orchestra to perform
works by Salem composers
The Salem College School of Music will present
"Tooling Our Own Horns: Salem's Music and
Musicians." a concert by the Salem College Chamber
Orchestra, on Sunday, May 6 at 7;30 pjn, in Hanes
Auditorium, located in the Salem Fine Arts Center.
The concert is free and open to the public.
This concert will feature music composed and
arranged by Salem College faculty Doug Borwick,
Charles Skilton and Charles Vardell, as well as Civil
War music arranged by Edward Leinbach and Amelia
van Vleck.
Conducted by Donna Rothrock, assistant profes
sor of music education at Salem, the concert will
showcase senior performance majors.
For more information, please contact the School
of Music at (336) 721-2636, or visit www.salem.edu.
The Salem College School of Music offers concerts,
workshops and general music education.
Professor wins NEH grant
You've probably heard of Emily Dickinson, the
secluded and eccentric "Belle of Amherst." But the
name of another great poet. Anne Finch, may escape
you.
Dr. Jennifer Keith, an associate professor of
English at The University of North Carolina at
Greensboro, has won a $40,000 National Endowment
Keith
for the Humanities Fellowship
to complete a critical edition of
Finch's poetry. She hopes to
bring Finch to the attention of a
wider audience.
Finch, a British writer who
lived from 1661-1720, was an
aristocrat, a court insider in the
court of Mary of Modena (wife
of James II). Finch married a
courtier of James II only to fol
low her husband into exile
when James abdicated and
William and Mary took the throne.
Before this "Glorious Revolution," Keith said, "it
seemed like [Finch and her husband] had the world as
their oyster." Afterwards, as "non-jurors" who refused
to swear allegiance to the new monarchs, they
encountered financial hardships as he was banned
from official appointment.
"She had the luxury of maintaining a leisured life,
but it certainly changed abruptly," Keith said.
Remarkably for the 18th century. Finch's husband
often acted as her secretary, transcribing many of her
poems. Despite her estrangement from London court
society, she wrote prolifically, producing about 250
poems. All of those poems, including many alternate
versions, will be included in Keith's edition.
"We can say that her life is quite extraordinary."
Finch and her husband oversaw publication of a
volume of her poetry that appeared in 1 7 1 3. By neces
sity she left out any politically dangerous material.
The NEH grant will help to replace a portion of
Keith's salary during the 2007-2008 academic year,
allowing her to write and research. Keith, who came
to UNCG in 1997, expects the book to appear around
2010.
Magazine debut at Hanes Mall
North Carolina Signature, the newest publication
from tne publishers of Our State magazine, will be
hosting the Signature event as a part of the official
launch of the magazine.
The event will be at Hanes Mall on Saturday, May
5, from 12-4 p.m. It will take place in the Belk
Court on the mall's lower level, and will include
entertainment by Martha and the Moodswingers .
Event exhibitors include Turchin Properties, UNCG
Theatre department. My Bryan MBA program, Merri
Mail and Sociale Gourmet.
North Carolina Signature magazine debuted in
March 2007 with the second edition arriving on news
stands in May. The magazine focuses on the six
major North Carolina regions: Asheville, Charlotte,
Greenville, (he Triad, the Triangle, and Wilmington.
North Carolina Signature is designed to motivate
North Carolina-lovers from near and far to get out and
discover the style and distinction of the state. Each
issue will feature "nine recurring departments that
explore one-of-a-kind shops, inspired style, notable
Tar Heel homes, luxury downtown living, great
restaurants, wonderful wines, quick getaway destina
tions and more.
Door prizes will be given away throughout the
event and include Carlyle & Co. gift cards and Hanes
Mall gift cards. Attendees will receive a complimen
tary copy of the brand new edition of North Carolina
Signature magazine!
Stars salute Ella Fitzgerald
LOS ANGELES (AP) - "You can only be an
innovator once ... and I hate that," joked Patti Austin
backstage at a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.
Austin joined host Natalie Cole, Wynonna Judd,
Nancy Wilson and other singers and musicians cover
ing tunes by Fitzgerald at the "We Love Ella: A
Tribute to the First Lady of Song" on Sunday night.
The tribute, held at the University of Southern
California's Galen Center, marked what would have
been Fitzgerald's 90th birthday April 25. The singer
died in 1996.
Backed by USC's Thornton Symphony and Jazz
Orchestra, instrumentalists George Duke, James
Moody and Jon Faddis covered Fitzgerald's classic
1950s recording "Lady Be Good." Newcomer Lizz
Wright cooed "Lullaby of Birdland "
Saxman Dave Koz riffed with "American Idol"
Ruben Studdard on "Do Nothing ' Til You Hear From
Me," and a capella act Take 6 bopped to an original
tune inspired by Fitzgerald's stylings.
"We Love Ella." produced by Phil Ramone and
Gregg Field for Thirteen/WNET New York, airs June
6 on PBS .
Jazz summit coming to NCCU this summer
Speakers and performers
will headline event
o
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE _
DURHAM - North Carolina
Central University (NCCU) in
partnership with the African
American Jazz Caucus (AAJC).an
affiliate of the International
Association for Jazz Education
(IAJE), has scheduled the inaugu
ral NCCU/AAJC (NAJRI ) Annual
Summer Jazz Festival/HBCU
Summit June 20-23 on the NCCU
campus.
The summit will be a four-day
event consisting of interdiscipli
nary workshops, panels, and semi
nars designed to address the needs
of HBCU educators, students and
the community. Two particularly
important panel topics will
address, "The Media and Jazz"
and "The Church/Community and
Their Relationship to Jazz."
There will be performances by
internationally renowned guest
artists: pianist Kenny Barron,
trumpeter Jimmy Owens, bassist
Larry Ridley and the Jazz Legacy
Ensemble featuring saxophonist
Ira Wiggins, the American Dance
Festival Dancers and vocalist
Kenny Barron
Lenora Helms' ensemble featuring
saxophonist Antonio Hart,
The jazz festival will showcase
the exceptional talents of the
NCCU Vocal Group and NCCU
Big Band, nightly jam sessions
and a photo exhibit of jazz greats
by renowned documentaiy pho
tographer Jim Alexander.
A.B. Spellman. and Elizabeth
City native who is recently retired
from the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA) as deputy director
for programs, will be one of the
speakers. Spellman has a varied
and influential career as a writer,
cultural critic, educator, arts
visionary and administrator.
Cedric. Hendricks will also be
a featured speaker. He has served
for several years as an assistant to
the Honorable Congressman John
Conyers, (D-MI). Conyers put
forth the 100th Congress, House
Resolution 57 declaring Jazz, a
valuable national American treas
ure.
Barron is the younger brother
Larry Ridley
of tenor saxophonist Bill Barron.
His talent first came to wider
recognition when he took the
piano chair in the 1960s Dizzy
Gillespie quartet. He has worked
with hundreds of well-known
musicians including Yusef Lateef;
James Moody; Joe Henderson;
Freddie Hubbard; Buddy Rich;
Ron Carter; Chet Baker; Benny
Carter, Stan Getz; Regina Carter;
and Omette Coleman.
See Jazz on All
, BET Photo
The students of "College Hill, Season Four."
Millions tuning in to "College Hill"
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
BET's reality show
"College Hill" has set a ratings
benchmark.
Now in its fourth season,
this season's eighth episode,
which aired two weeks ago,
became the most-watched orig
inal series telecast in BET his
tory with a 1 .7 rating. But even
that mark was topped by last
week's show, episode nine,
which broke the previous
record by a margin of 8 percent.
The numbers mean that more
than two million households
were tuned in. which is quite
impressive for cable television.
Produced by Edmonds
Entertainment and BET, the
series, which follows the
goings-on of a group of real
lile college student, is cable's
top original series among black
households.
In episode nine, the after
effects of the stiletto conflict
were still felt throughout the
cast as Vanessa was ultimately
asked to leave the posh Virgin
Island digs where the students
live. Viewers can watch gs the
drama unfolds every Tuesday
night at 10 p.m. on BET.
UNCG to host N.C. Writers '
0 Network Conference
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The University of North
Carolina at Greensboro will host
the annual N.C. Writers' Network
Spring Conference Saturday, June
2.
The event, a collaboration
between the Writer's Network
and the Center for Creative
Writing in the Arts at UNCG,
marks the ftfst time the confer
ence has been held in Greensboro.
Many area writing faculty will
take part, and Fred Chappell, pro
fessor emeritus of creative writing
at UNCG and past poet laureate
of North Carolina, will Heliverjhq
keynoteaddress.
This conference will feature
all day workshops with Quinn
Dalton (fiction) and Marianne
Chappell at 11:15 a.m.
? Faculty reading andj hook
signing at 4:15 p.m.
The Writers' Network serves
Gingher (memoir).
In addition, attendees
will have access to
intensive courses in
poetry (Stuart
Dischell and Carolyn
Beard Whitlow Cre
ative nonfiction (Lee
Zacharias) and fic
tion (Michael
Parker). Editors from
Press 53, Main Street
Rag Press,
International Poetry
Gingher
writers al every stage of
development through
programs that Offer
ample opportunities for
professional growth in
skills and insight. The
network builds audi
ences for literature,
advocates for the literary
arts and for literacy, and
provides information
and support services. For
further information, or if
you are interested in
Review and the Greensboro
Review will provide a panel about
what it takes to get published.
Two conference events are
free and open to the public:
? Keynote address by Fred
becoming a member, call (919)
967-9540.
The Center for Creative
Writing in the Arts at UNCG fos
ters the efforts of those who
believe in the power of the crafted
word to transform and improve.
The beginning wordsmith and the
established word master, the stu
dent and the professional alike
will find in the center a place from
which to draw strength, encour
agement and support in producing
their work and in finding the
opportunity to share it with oth
ers.
The conference will lake place
in the Elliott University Center on
campus from 9 am. to 5:3Q,pm.
Workshop attendance is limited to
registrants only. Early registra
tion is $110 for Writer's Network
members, $145 for non-memhers.
Walk-in registration is $135 for
members. $165 for non-members.
For more information or to regis
ter for the conference, log on to
wwwjtcwriters.org or call (919)
967-9540.
Opera again
welcomes
Bonnie
Poindexter
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Bonnie Poindexter has
returned as interim executive
director of Piedmont Opera.
Poindexter previously served
as interim director in 2006.
"With her former 22 year
leader
ship of
t h e
March
o f
Dimes
and
interim
director
ships at
the Arts
Council
f
Poindexter
Winston-Salem and Forsyth
County and Sawtooth Center
for Visual Art, Bonnie brings a
wealth of experience to
Piedmont Opera as we prepare
for our historic 30th season,"
said Gail Phillips, president of
the Piedmont Opera board of
directors. "Although Bonnie
is an interim director, the
board anticipates that she will
be here for an extended period
and looks forward to working
closely with her and the rest of
our professional staff on
upcoming productions."
Piedmont Opera's recent
ly-concluded 29th season was
one of the most successful
seasons in the company's long
history, featuring critically and
financially successful produc
tions of "La Boheme,"
"Amahl and the Night
Visitors," and "Cosi fan tutte,"
as well its Magnolia Ball
fundraiser.
To better position the com
pany to continue and expand
upon the great successes of the
2006-2007 season. Piedmont
Opera's board of directors has
elected to restructure the com
pany's management effective
April 18. Poindexter returns
to replace former executive
director John W. Fichtel.
James Allbritten will continue
to serve as artistic director and
resident conductor. A. J.
Wolff will continue to serve as
business manager, Jaclyn
Bradley as box office manager
and John Toia as production
manager.
To celebrate its 30th sea
son, Piedmont Opera will
offer performances of three
beloved operas during the next
yeaif'J "La traviata" in
October; "Amahl and the
Night Visitors" in December:
and "Die Fledermaus" in
April, 2008.
For more information
about Piedmont Opera and
tickets to the 30th anniversary
season, visit wwwpiedmont
opera.org or call (336) 725
7101.