Library Coffeehouse Delights Music Fans

Nostalgia ruled the day as the hosted a festival of coffeehouse music Saturday as part of its five-week long multimedia program, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.”

More than 100 library patrons–some of them visiting the library to return a book–were surprised and delighted to stumble upon the four-hour live concert going on in the meeting room.

Eleven musical acts, most of them regional talent, performed melodies from the folk revival era of the 1950s and 1960s, an epoch that bred performers such as Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan.

“This was terrific,” said West Deptford resident Sylvia Hammell, who came to the library Saturday to do research with her granddaughters. “I had no idea this was going on, but wasn’t it nice to have this opportunity?”

“New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” is a traveling exhibit presented by the Smithsonian Institution in coordination with the New Jersey Council on the Humanities.

Three shorter concerts were held in the days prior to the coffeehouse-themed program. Five more live musical presentations–each highlighting a different genre–will be held at the library in the coming days and weeks ahead.

West Deptford is one of only six sites in New Jersey to host the Smithsonian exhibit in 2011, which runs here until June 6.

“We invite everyone living in the area to take advantage of this,” said librarian Cheryl Rheiner, coordinator for the local program.

Speaking personally, Rheiner said the coffeehouse concert was special to her.

“I was in college during the folk revival era. This was nostalgia for me,” she said.

But music is only part of the New Harmonies program.

Music and history buffs will enjoy viewing the Smithsonian traveling exhibit consisting of eight kiosks inside the library. The display takes visitors through the roots of American music beginning with folk traditions brought to the New World by people arriving from Britain and Africa.

Later, other musical styles from around the world came to America. They blended with the traditions that were already here to create new sounds that are uniquely American–jazz, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, and rock 'n' roll, according to the display.

At a listening station, visitors can don headphones to hear clips of popular artists performing 24 distinct American musical styles, from gospel to Cajun.

South Jersey’s contribution to the development of American music is also part of the local exhibit. Two special displays recognize record-maker RCA, based for years in Camden, and Dreamlands Cafe, a Lawnside nightclub which showcased many talented black musicians, including Philadelphians Sister Sledge, known for the hit "We Are Family."

Rheiner said the public is enjoying both the New Harmonies exhibit and the live concerts.   

“”Everybody was tapping their toes and clapping,” during a concert of Klezmer music, a style that comes from the Yiddish tradition, Rheiner said. “We were all singing along to ‘Those Were the Days.’ ”

“We have a visitors’ book for people to sign. We received one comment–I think it was from a student–who wrote, ‘This is awesome!’ ” Rheiner said.

The five remaining musical presentations include:

• Thursday, May 12, 7 p.m., Bugle calls of the American Civil War with George Rabbai
• Saturday, May 14, 1:30 p.m., An afternoon of blues with Ronald Campbell
• Sunday, May 15, 1 p.m., From the Atlantic to Appalachia: Traditional music of the British Isles in early America with Charlie Zahm
• Thursday, May 26, 7 p.m., Traditional music and wedding celebrations with Rita Moonsammy
• Monday, June 6, 7 p.m., An evening of Gospel with Katrice Cornett & Highest Praise