Paragon Ragtime Orchestra

Directed by Rick Benjamin, the 14-piece orchestra is the most active of its kind, performing a variety of turn-of-the-century styles including waltzes, marches, operatic parodies, novelty numbers, Blues, popular songs of the era and syncopated rag. The orchestra also accompanies silent films of the era using the original scores.

Friday evening's program, titled " Scott Joplin and The Original Kings of Ragtime, " includes several Joplin rags, popular dance music, a Victorian parlor song featuring soprano Jodi Dall' Armi, a 1915 Blues composition by James "Slappy" White and a comic vaudeville act, among other selections.

The program's finale will be the showing of the silent film "The Pawn Shop," starring Charles Chaplin, accompanied by the PRO, which will play the film's original musical score.

Benjamin founded the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (PRO) in 1985. Inspired by his discovery of a long lost collection of orchestra scores of Victrola recording star Arthur Pryor, Benjamin recruited fellow Juilliard School of Music colleagues to perform the turn-of-the-century treasures, and the PRO was born. Recordings followed, and in 1988 the PRO made its debut at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, the first at Lincoln Center by a professional ragtime ensemble.

Since then, the PRO has performed for audiences at major venues in the U.S. and in historic theatre and movie palaces. Apart from concert hall, festival and university appearances, PRO has gained much popularity though its radio broadcasts on NPR, BBC and the New York Times’ WQXR. Walt Disney World is currently using recorded selections of PRO’s music as theme music for its attractions. The PRO also served as “Ambassador of Goodwill” for the United States at the Universal Exposition in Seville, Spain. The group's recordings are considered instrumental in recreating an appreciation for the traditions of American theater, cinema, and dance orchestra.

Additional information on the PRO is available at its website at www.paragonragtime.com.

The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra’s appearance is sponsored by the College’s Convocations program, with additional support from Lowell and Barbara Taylor of Berea. The concert is free and open to the public.