Early Music Access Project believes that Black Lives Matter and we humbly acknowledge our responsibility to take action where we can. To that end, we commit to honoring and shining a light on the work of Black artists. Expanding the Narrative, our ongoing project to tell the story of early Black American music, particularly at Monticello, brings together Black performers, composers, and scholars to tell the forgotten stories of extraordinary enslaved and free Black musicians who made an enormous impact on American culture. We are actively looking for ways to better engage our community as we tell these stories, which must include an unvarnished look at the horrors of slavery and the unfathomable challenges faced by Virginia’s Black musicians during this time. We recognize that this one project must only be the beginning of our work, a small part of our country’s long journey towards full equity and representation.
The 2022-2023 season is sponsored in part by grants from The Rea Charitable Trust, the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts
Join Dr. Leni Sorensen of Indigo House and David McCormick of Early Music Access Project for an evening of food, wine, and music that offers a window into the many accomplishments of the Hemings family, once enslaved at Monticello.
Leni will introduce dinner guests to Chef James Hemings, who was trained in the art of French cooking while accompanying Thomas Jefferson in Paris. In Philadelphia, Hemings would use these skills to cook for countless diplomats and politicians during Jefferson’s time as Secretary of State. This multi-course meal offers a glimpse into the Hemings kitchen and the extended family members who learned from James Hemings and cooked at Monticello after his death.
Throughout the evening, David will play fiddle tunes associated with this highly musical family. All three of Sally Hemings’ sons with Thomas Jefferson appear to have been fiddlers, and there were three generations of fiddlers among their cousins in the Scott family.
THE FOUR-COURSE MENU 1770 Tomato Soup Salad with 1824 Tarragon Dressing 1824 Curry of Chicken with Rice Honey-Butter Carrots 1824 Raspberry Cream
Tickets to this event are $225 per person. Proceeds will support Early Music Access Project ($45 of your ticket price will be considered a tax deductible donation). Reserve your spot early -- seating is limited for this special event! RSVP no later than Friday, April 7.
Table sponsorships are available for $2,000. Sponsors receive tickets for a table of 6, plus 6 VIP tickets to Early Music Access Project's June 18 concert, Rock & Reel: Monticello's Folk Traditions. Sponsors will be publicly acknowledged at both events and on the EMAP website. Contact David McCormick at info@earlymusiccville.orgfor more information on sponsorship.