That's Mandeville Gallery Curator Rachel Seligman playing “Camptown
Races” and other selections on the violin in WNYT-TV reporter Steve Scoville's
story on “Twelve Years a Slave,” the current exhibit in the Nott Memorial.
Scoville visited the Nott recently to assemble the story of Solomon Northup, a free
black man who in 1841 was kidnapped into slavery. Among Northup's many talents was
music; he was a gifted violinist.
So when Scoville was on campus last week, it seemed natural to use period violin tunes
as background for the piece. Seligman, herself an accomplished violinist who plays with a
number of area ensembles, was glad to oblige.
But they needed a quiet room with good acoustics to record the music. After some
thought, Seligman and the TV crew went to the basement of the Nott to a space that fit the
bill perfectly: the ladies room.
No word yet on where Seligman plans to play next.