[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
The Dwight-Derby House will host its 20th Anniversary Gala on Sept. 9 to celebrate 20 years since the Town of Medfield purchased the house and property. The evening of local food and music promises to be a fun-filled event with local musicians Tom Duprey, David Hawthorn, and Jeri Bergonzi with her trio, hors d’oeuvres (6 p.m.) and an elegant buffet dinner (7 p.m.) served by Basil Restaurant.
The cocktail hour (with cash bar) will feature vocalist and pianist Jeri Bergonzi, who teaches jazz piano at Rivers School Conservatory in Weston, as well as privately here in Medfield. Her trio has performed throughout the Boston area for the past 35 years and locally at the Zullo Gallery, the gazebo and the Dwight-Derby House. She has an enchanting voice that is sure to please.
Dinner will include a full-course meal with bread, salad, roast prime rib, chicken marsala, pasta primavera, vegetables and rice, and will feature Duprey and Hawthorn. Duprey has been a resident of Medfield and a music teacher with the Dover-Sherborn Middle School for 19 years. He is a trumpet professor at Wellesley College, has taught for 25 years, and has been a freelance trumpet player in the Boston area for over 30 years. He is also a founding member of the James Merenda’s Ticklejuice on cornet/accordion.
Tom has performed with well-known musicians such as Dionne Warwick, Johnny Matthis, The Temptations, Tommy Tune and Robert Goulet, and the Four Tops. Guitarist David Harthorn and Tom have spread their sound throughout New England at weddings, churches, restaurants and community events.
After dinner, there will be dancing to music jointly performed by Duprey and Bergonzi. The Dwight-Derby House Shoppe will also be open during the event, where local items will be available for purchase (cash and checks only).
Tickets will be on sale at the Dwight-Derby House on Saturday, Aug. 26 and Sunday, Aug. 27 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Needham Bank or anytime by contacting Theresa Knapp at (508-359-4757) or [email protected]. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased per seat or per table of 10. All proceeds will support the restoration, preservation and maintenance of the Dwight-Derby House. The Friends of the Dwight-Derby House are currently seeking sponsorship to help defray costs. For more information or to donate, contact President Cheryl O'Malley at [email protected].