The Historic Music Preservation Project: Preserving Historic Music for Future Generations

Clark County Historical Museum and the Historic Music Preservation Project (HMPP), are excited to have Sammuel Murry-Hawkins, HMPP Executive Director, present “The Historic Music Preservation Project: Preserving Historic Music for Future Generations” for this month’s CCHM Speaker Series. The event will occur on Thursday, May 4, 2023 in person at the Clark County Historical Museum (1511 Main Street, Vancouver, WA 98660). Doors open at 5 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m.

The Historic Music Preservation Project is dedicated to the preservation and cataloging of historic popular dance sheet music published between 1880 and 1955.

The organization is the sole curator of the historic Herman Kenin Dance Band Library, a 4000+ title collection once in the possession of the famous Portland dance band leader.

The Historic Music Preservation Project’s commitment to introducing this music to a new audience is achieved through the performance of The Ne Plus Ultra Jazz Orchestra, an 11 piece ensemble which presents this music exactly as it was heard in its heyday. The organization also presents a quartet, Ensemble Gitane, performing music from the collection is the hot jazz style of Django Reinhardt.

Sammuel’s musical interests were cultivated as a child. At age 10 his parents purchased a flute for the budding musician, and this would remain his primary instrument until age 25, when Sammuel purchased his first banjo ukulele. With this controversial conversion from classical culture to an instrument better suited to the comic tunes of the 1920s, it became obvious that a period of music hitherto unknown to the young man would shape his musical career as well as his personal life. Classically trained in voice in addition to flute, Sammuel’s period sound has been influenced largely by Joey Nash, Rudy Vallee, and Russ Colombo.

The CCHM Speaker Series is sponsored by the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission and League of Women Voters of Clark County. General admission is $5; seniors and students are $4; children under 18 are $3; and the evening is free for CCHM members, veterans, and active-duty military personnel.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, as seating is limited.

For more information, contact the museum at 360-993-5679 or outreach@cchmuseum.org.