Voices of Mississippi
The Vanderbilt University Wilson Music library will present Voices of Mississippi on Friday, September 15, 7:30 p.m., in Blair School of Music’s Ingram Hall. Voices of Mississippi is an immersive multimedia concert event that celebrates the music, art, and storytelling traditions of the people of Mississippi.
Based on the 2019 2x Grammy-winning box set, Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William “Bill” Ferris, the program features live musical performances integrated with film, audio recordings, and rare photographs by folklorist Ferris, who will serve as host for the evening. The event will feature musicians Bobby Rush, Shardé Thomas, and Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, all of whom have deep ties to Mississippi and artists Ferris documented.
The Voices of Mississippi concert event is presented by the Vanderbilt Wilson Music Library and was spearheaded by Library Director Holling Smith-Borne. “We are delighted to host this exciting live show that highlights Ferris’s outstanding fieldwork combined with live music performed by a Who’s Who of musicians with roots in Mississippi,” said Smith-Borne. “Be prepared to be transported to Mississippi, both past and present, with this immersive concert.”
Tickets for Voices of Mississippi will go on sale Tuesday, August 1, 9:00 a.m. CT, at http://boxoffice.vanderbilt.edu. A limited number of complimentary tickets have been held for Vanderbilt University students, faculty, and staff. To secure your free ticket click on My Account at the top of the ticketing page, then sign in using Vanderbilt SSO.
In a companion program, Bobby Rush will be featured in a public interview at the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) on Friday, Sept. 15, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Rush will be interviewed by NMAAM COO Dion Brown. This is a free event with advance ticket reservations suggested (ticketing link coming soon).
Voices of Mississippi is presented by the Vanderbilt Wilson Music Library and is made possible by a generous gift from Neal & Harwell, Attorneys at Law; and the Vanderbilt Arts, Discovery, and Innovation Fund, a collaboration with NMAAM.