Celebration: Dancing in the Cemetery!

St. Michael’s Cemetery sponsored for a second year a Scott Joplin concert. Performing were three great artists, Ruth Brisbane who has appeared on Broadway and venues around the world, Aaron Diehl a gifted Julliard graduate who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, and Terry Waldo, protégé of the legendary Eubie Blake.

Dr. Edward Berlin author of academic texts and over one hundred articles on Joplin, ragtime and the times presented a discussion featuring slides that highlighted the context of the era. His book “King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era” is the most thoroughly documented study of Joplin’s life and career.

St. Michael’s is dedicated to the belief that life is to be celebrated. We refuse to become a warehouse of the past. Adhering to this and to honor the American icon that was laid to rest in 1917 at the Cemetery the concert was open to the public. Hundreds of Joplin fans and friends of St. Michael’s attended sharing a glorious sunshine, blazing BBQ offering franks, hamburgers, soda and thanks to Harlem Brewery, Sugar Hill Golden Ale. Celeste Beatty of Harlem Brewery is the great granddaughter of an artist who played with Joplin.

It was hard to imagine that anyone in attendance considered the location unusual. People sat on chairs, lay on the grass and danced. Steve & Joy Sabreila entertained everyone by showing off dance steps not seen by many. The joy they experienced translated throughout the crowd with many insisting that we insure future notifications of upcoming events at St. Michael’s.

The great satisfaction for St. Michael’s as sponsor was the refusal by the crowd to allow the concert to end as scheduled. The artists were more than glad to play on. The appreciation of those who attended included five pre need sales, one by a family who said they would never consider a Cemetery that did not offer music, fun and the joy of life!

Edward Horn

Photos from the Joplin concert:
(Click on pictures to enlarge)