Friends of Music at Guilford presents "Lucy Terry Prince & The Black Man in Song" at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, at Guilford Community Church. Co-sponsored by the Guilford Historical Society, this event is partially funded by a Small and Inspiring grant from the Vermont Community Foundation. Educator Linda Hecker will share insights on the life of 18th-century Guilford resident Lucy Terry Prince, who grew up as a slave in nearby Deerfield, Mass., and was the first African-American poet and a legendary orator. Retired Metropolitan Opera tenor Irwin Reese and pianist Julia Bady, who teaches and performs across the New England/New York region, present Art Songs and Spirituals written and arranged by ten 20th-century African-American composers. Among these works are Margaret Bonds' "Three Dream Portraits," settings of poems by Langston Hughes; "Parted" by William Grant Still, which is set to lyrics by Paul Laurence Dunbar, the acclaimed lyricist for "In Dahomey," the first all African-American Broadway musical; and "The Letters" (2003), a four-part commission by Mr. Reese from composer Richard Pearson Thomas that was based on letters by noted scientist and educator George Washington Carver. A Colonial-themed Tea Reception follows. Guilford Community Church, a handicap-accessible venue, is at 38 Church Dr., Guilford, just off Rt. 5 south, a bit over a mile from Exit 1 off I-91. Admission is $10/person. Further information: www.fomag.org or (802) 254-3600. Snow date: February 23, 3:00 pm.

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