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The Greenville Textile Heritage Band will present a program of tunes and tales from days gone by at the 18th Annual Textile Heritage Festival Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. This will be the band's first appearance in North Carolina since it was formed two years ago under the direction of Dr. Michael Moore.

Admission is free but the public is asked to bring their lawn chairs.

"The concert program will basically be a re-creation of the old-fashioned band concerts that were a tradition in textile communities a hundred years ago," Moore said. "Several of the old textile mill villages, including Cooleemee, had their own bands, and they were an integral part of community life. We're hoping folks will take a little time out of their busy schedules to come relax while listening to some good music, just like old times."The band will begin the festivities by playing the National Anthem and then launch into an hour-long varied program of marches, rags, dance music and folk songs celebrating the rich musical heritage of the textile history.

One of the features that makes this ensemble unique is the instrumentation. Many of the instruments the band members will be performing on are 75 to 100 years old or more. "The instruments, along with the old tunes and the uniforms, certainly add a bit of authenticity to the experience for the audience" says Moore, who is a professor in the Music Department at Bob Jones University.

The Greenville Textile Heritage Band is dedicated to preserving textile history and contributing to the arts in the Carolinas. Patterned after the town bands common to textile mill villages during the early 1900s, the band uses authentic period repertoire, instruments and costuming to communicate the historical and cultural significance of the textile industry to a new generation in a tangible and engaging way.

This year is the 20th Anniversary of the Cooleemee Historical Association's founding and there will be special photo displays about its work. All CHA "Life Members" will be honored with a certificate and a group photo taken. Of the organization's 800 members, 200 are the "80 & Over" life members. There will also be a special photo exhibit on the grounds titled "Cooleemee: The Place & Its People."Applications are being taken for nonprofit exhibitors as well as for-profit craft and food vendors. Cakes are being solicited for the "Cake Walk."

Younger volunteers are especially needed for "take down" at 3 p.m.

For information, contact Lynn Rumley at 336-284-6040 at Cooleemee's Textile Heritage Center.