Program Description
Event Details
Join us in the Great Hall for the 100th Anniversary screening of Down to the Sea in Ships with live piano accompaniment by Grammy Award-nominated pianist Dr. Jennifer Maxwell. Using some archival material and some original material, along with a couple of popular tunes recognizable in the day, Maxwell created a theme for each character and each type of action, weaving them throughout the film to underscore the narrative in a medium in which there is no dialogue. This program was originally performed under the whale skeleton in the Nantucket Whaling Museum.
About the Film
Down to the Sea in Ships is a story of forbidden love and open-water adventure. The film is set in a Quaker whaling community, where the young and eligible Patience Morgan is courted by rising businessman Samuel Siggs, despite the fact that her heart belongs to Allan Dexter, her childhood playmate-turned-whaler. The film also features an early performance from silent film star Clara Bow, in only her second film appearance of her career.
About Dr. Jennifer Maxwell
American pianist Dr. Jennifer A. Maxwell has earned acclaim for her versatility as a performer, educator, and scholar. A 2016 and 2018 Grammy Award Nominee, Maxwell holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, where she was in the studio of Anthony di Bonaventura. Maxwell is a former professor at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and former artist faculty member at Nantucket Music Center. She also served on faculty at the University of Rhode Island Department of Music and held positions at the University of Chicago Department of Music, Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Center for the Arts, and University of Louisville School of Music. A committed educator, Maxwell has maintained a private teaching studio throughout her career, working with students of all ages and levels.
This event is co-sponsored by The Nantucket Community Music Center.
Free admission. Masks required.