ART FILMS & EVENTS
Longfellow Reads Longfellow | Evangeline
Layne Longfellow, Dr. Ann Hutchinson Guest, Joanna Seaton, and Donald Sosin
in person
November 24 at 3:30PM
(146 minutes)
East Building Concourse, Large Auditorium
On the occasion of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's bicentennial, cousin Layne
Longfellow will read excerpts from Longfellow's poetry, accompanied by Donald
Sosin's original piano score and vocals by Joanna Seaton. Dr. Ann Hutchinson
Guest, Longfellow's oldest living direct descendant and current matriarch of the
family, will introduce this special event.
One of several Hollywood adaptations of Longfellow's epic, Evangeline tells the
tale of a young French-Canadian woman (actress Dolores del Rio) severed from
her Acadian home and forced to search for her lover in the American
wilderness. (Edwin Carewe, 1929, 35mm, live piano and vocals, 86 minutes)
Dear Layne,
I can’t thank you enough for making it all
happen on Saturday. It was a unique
experience, and the audience clearly adored
you.
Very best wishes,
Peggy
Margaret “Peggy” Parsons
Head, Film Department
National Gallery of Art
6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington DC 20565
The Cast of the National Gallery of Art's Observance of
Henry W. Longfellow's Bicentennial, Nov. 24, 2007
The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Bicentennial Observance November 24, 2007
The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
A memoir from Dr. Ann Guest
HWL’s Great Granddaughter and closest living relative
The chance to see the 1929 movie “Evangeline,” with Dolores del Rio starring, was so tempting. How
would that glamorous actress portray the simple Acadian maiden? Would it be over-done, a travesty?
The invitation from Margaret Parsons, director of the Film Department of the National Gallery, decided it
for me. In honor of Longfellow’s bicentennial, they would be screening a newly restored archival copy of
the film, preceded by an hour of my Great Grandfather’s poetry. Master of Ceremonies for the occasion, to
welcome the audience into the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow world, was my distant cousin, Layne
Longfellow, perhaps the foremost contemporary interpreter of Longfellow’s poetry.
As I had not been able to attend other bicentenary celebrations of Longfellow’s birth during 2007, I felt I
should not miss this chance to be present at such a major event. I am 89 now, and seen as “the Matriarch
of the direct descendants,” so I looked forward to contributing what I could.
The event opened with Layne Longfellow’s authoritative, resonant delivery of the opening line of
Longfellow’s poem. This set the atmosphere for the first half of the presentation, consisting of additional
HWL readings from Layne, accompanied by Don Sosin’s music.
Layne’s selections were representative and instructive, for those new to the Poet and those long familiar
with him -- several lesser known works, such as 'It Is Not Always May' and 'Will Ever These Dear Days;'
excerpts from the epics, including "Hiawatha' and, appropriate for the occasion, 'Evangeline;' and such
shorter classics as 'The Children's Hour,' with its touching remembrance of my Grandmother.
My role was to describe my first impressions on visiting the Longfellow House (or Castle Craigie as the
family often called it) as an adult, my Uncle Harry’s (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana’s) filling me in on
the history and significant features of the house, telling anecdotes about my many visits to the house,
particularly when staying there during try-outs in Boston of the Broadway musical I was in, and my
husband Ivor Guest’s emotional reaction to standing in Longfellow’s study, taking in the atmosphere and
revelling in it, he himself being the author of many published books.
Also on hand at this event was Vicki Toye, a Great Great Granddaughter of “The Village Blacksmith”
immortalized by Longfellow. By wonderful coincidence, Vicki works at the National Gallery. The
Collaborative reading of that poem with Vicki and Layne alternating stanzas, was the highlight of her
contribution.
Donald Sosin, a musician much experienced in this kind of task, provided the background music for the
showing of the silent film. Donald revealed to us that he had been studying the film for a number of years,
and his familiarity with the unfolding drama was clearly evident in his excellent accompaniment. For the
two songs that Evangeline is shown to be singing in the movie, Joanna Seaton sang meaningfully with a
beautiful tone. Later she told us of the hours of research spent in finding what the song had been and
coordinating the lyrics to del Rio’s lips.
The overall impact of the film was stunning and very moving. Del Rio had given a simple, sincere rendition
of the character. As the film credits rolled, Layne recited the final stanza of Longfellow’s poem, a moving
conclusion.
The whole event was a wonderful experience, which included associating with such interesting people; I
would not have missed it for anything.
Dr. Ann Hutchinson Guest
London, England