Southern Soul and Song

The Fairfield Four
and Mike Farris

Friday, April 17, 2009
7:30 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre

A Nashville-based Southern gospel ensemble, The Fairfield Four (actually composed of five members) can trace its history back to 1921 and its first recordings to 1941. The group has only begun to hit their stride in a career that spans several decades. One of the most celebrated black gospel vocal groups in the 40s and 50s, The Fairfield Four won a Grammy award in 1998 for their hit soul/gospel album "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray." They are also known for their appearance as the gravediggers in the film O Brother Were Art Thou.

singers.com/gospel/fairfieldfour.html

Mike Farris' latest album, Salvation in Lights, uses the musical language of spirituals, timeless stories of struggle, some of which are centuries-old slave spirituals, and soul to tell a uniquely redemptive story. The former front man for the Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies and Stevie Ray Vaughn's group Double Trouble, Farris embraced both God and sobriety in 2004. His subsequent solo work has been a remarkable musical testament to Farris' commitment to personal redemption.

mikefarrismusic.net

Southern Circuit Film Festival

Bama Girl

with Rachel Goslins, producer/director
April 18, 2009 7:30pm

Purchase Tickets

Bama Girl follows one black woman’s quest to become Homecoming Queen at the University of Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s Homecoming has a rich history, tied into centuries of privilege, old money and racial exclusivity. This powerful and enlightening documentary follows Jessica Thomas and her campaign in competition with 15 other co-eds and a strictly segregated Greek system. Along the way, the film reveals surprises about black vs. white, Old South vs. New South, and the microcosm of electoral politics that mirrors the Presidential campaigns today.

Click to View Trailer