The Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music
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Early or ancient music usually designates the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods of European music prior to classical music, best known for pieces written in the 1700s & 1800s. Early music is typically thought to start about 900 A.D. with the monophony of Gregorian chant through the end of the Baroque period in 1750, with the death of J. S. Bach. The music is generally performed on period instruments such as the harpsichord, lute, harp, fiddle and many precursors to today’s winds, horns and strings. You’ll find distinctive vocal differences from liturgical sacred music in Latin to the secular poetics in common tongue of the troubadour, minstrel or bard.
The early music crowd isn’t just the “ black bread, sandal-toed set”, as Newsweek once described it. Its audience is often comprised of fans of traditional world music, the public radio classical crowd as well as contemporary connoisseurs of folk and jazz. Its music tends to be more humanistic, without the high-church reservations that keep many from the symphony. The Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music started with the enthusiasm of local people about "early music" and a birthday party. Dr. Ernst Borinski, a Professor of Sociology at Tougaloo College since 1947, threw elaborate annual birthday parties throughout the 1970’s as a gathering place to bring together many of the progressive elements in Jackson. Until his death in 1982, Dr. Borinski inspired and helped train many social activists and attorneys, and hosted a forum series during the sixties which brought the nation's leading figures to Tougaloo and contributed to the college's leading role in the civil rights movement. In the late seventies, at an ACLU auction Dr. Borinski purchased an evening of music by John Paul and intended to have him perform at his annual party. John Paul grew up in England where he attended the Royal Academy of Music and immigrated to Jackson in 1965, to become Organist and Choirmaster at St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral where he has been responsible for all service music and the Wednesday at St. Andrew's noontime Baroque concert series begun in 1971. In 2002 John Paul won the Governor's Excellence in the Arts Award for Artist's Achievement. Under his direction with what was to become the Mississippi Camerata he brought several of his singers with him to perform at Dr. Borinski’s party. Richard McGinnis and Max Garriott were among these singers and with the success of that party they founded the Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music. The annual tradition and MA’AM continued to thrive and moved into the historic A.J. Lewis house in Edwards in 1981. In addition to dedicating themselves to the Jackson early music scene, Chicago native Max Garriott is a foreign language teacher at Piney Woods, and Rich McGinnis with his undergraduate at Berkeley and graduate work at Harvard, now serves as chemistry professor and Dean of the Natural Sciences Division at Tougaloo College. Rich and Max attended the first Boston Early Music Festival in 1981, which resulted in bringing to Jackson some of the biggest international names in the early music community. Several times a year, with community support, groups like The Tallis Scholars, Musica Antiqua Koeln , Boston Camerata, Piffaro, and The English Concert come from all over the world to perform. Many of the performers that come to Jackson from the U.K. or Europe make only a few stops in America: New York, San Francisco--and Jackson. A patron who lives in Italy came to a concert once while in America was so impressed, McGinnis said, she called MA'AM " the most unlikely early music organization in the world." " We're quite well known in Amsterdam, I'm told," McGinnis deadpanned, citing the European city as a hotbed of ancient music enthusiasts. Rich and his wife host most of the musicians at the MA’AM in Edwards showing them the true meaning of southern hospitality and charm.
The MA’AM also presents performances and workshops for junior and high school students in the Jackson area. The Academy is a non-profit organization, and your donations are tax deductible. Friend ($30), Member ($60), Supporter ($120), and Muse ($250) The concerts are held at St. Philip's Episcopal Church on evenings that the church can spare donating the ensemble hall or in the newly renovated, historic Woodworth Chapel at Tougaloo College. The
Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music 103
Magnolia St., Edwards, Ms. 39066 For further information contact Richard McGinnis at 601-852-4848 (nights/weekends), 601-594-5584 (weekdays)
Concerts
performed at : St. Philip's Episcopal Church, 5400 Old Canton Rd. at Westbrook, across from Synagogue Woodworth
Chapel at Tougaloo College $10 - $20 per concert (50% discount with Student I.D.) season tickets also available |
