B&O Railroad Museum to host illustrious Howard University Department of Music and Afro Blue Ensemble for live performance
BALTIMORE, MD – April 11, 2023 – The B&O Railroad Museum will be hosting Howard University’s Department of Music and the award-winning Afro Blue Ensemble for a special live performance in the Museum’s historic 1884 Baldwin Roundhouse on April 21 at 7 PM.
The performance comes as part of monthly programming for the Museum’s latest exhibit, The Underground Railroad: Freedom Seekers on the B&O Railroad. For the exhibit, the Museum located both the words and tune of Henry “Box” Brown’s song, a freedom seeker who shipped himself in a box from Richmond, VA to Philadelphia, PA passing through the Museum’s site and asked Howard University’s Afro Blue Vocal Jazz Ensemble to record Henry’s song. The Museum believes it is the first time the song has been recorded since the time of Henry “Box” Brown. Howard University’s Music Department will perform Henry “Box” Brown’s song as well as a selection of original songs written by the performers inspired by the exhibit.
Doors open at 6:30 PM and the performance will begin at 7 PM. There will be a cash bar and light refreshments available for purchase. The B&O Railroad Museum also offers free on-site parking for all museum guests at 901 W Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21223.
The new permanent exhibit, The Underground Railroad: Freedom Seekers on the B&O Railroad, examines the role of the physical railroad in the Underground Railroad network and gives an intimate look at the lives and journeys of 27 individuals who sought freedom. One of those Freedom Seekers was Henry “Box” Brown, who shipped himself in a box from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Howard University’s Department of Music recorded and produced the song he wrote and performed about his 1849 journey he took to freedom for the exhibit.
For tickets and more information, visit https://borail.info/howardlive.
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About the B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum, the birthplace of American railroading, located in Baltimore, Maryland is a full affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site. It is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American railroading and its impact on American society, culture, and economy. The museum is home to the oldest, most comprehensive collection of railroad artifacts in the Western Hemisphere including an unparalleled roster of 19th and 20th century railroad equipment, the 1851 Mt. Clare Station, the 1884 Baldwin Roundhouse and first mile of commercial railroad track in America. For further information on the B&O Railroad Museum, please call 410-752-2490 or visit www.borail.org.
