On Friday, March 31, 2017, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will host a Women’s History Month Concert in conjunction with the Sesquicentennial of the founding of Storer College. The event features legendary jazz pianist and educator, Bertha Hope. Joining Ms. Hope will be Jeff Hiner on bass and Howard Burns on drums.
Bertha Hope was born in Los Angeles, California, and is a classically trained pianist. Her first public performances were presenting concerts in area churches as a young teenager. By the 1950s Ms. Hope became interested in jazz. By the late 50s she was playing in Los Angeles clubs with a trio. She released her first record in 1961 with her late husband Elmo. Ms. Hope has always been an active force in improvised jazz music within the US and abroad. She has released an outstanding catalog of solo work. She continues to tour today and remains as always, creative and original.
This program is part of an ongoing series of events being presented this year commemorating the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Storer College. Storer was one of the first schools established after the American Civil War to educate newly freed slaves. The college operated for 88 years before closing its doors in 1955.
This free concert will begin at 7:30 pm in the Curtis Freewill Baptist Church on Fillmore Street on the campus of Storer College in Harpers Ferry. For additional information call the park at 304-535-6298. To see the full schedule of events for the 150th Anniversary of Storer College, please visit go.nps.gov/StorerCollege.
Tags: women history month jazz storer college
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
