‘You Can’t Make a Monkey Out of Me’: Music of the Scopes Monkey Trial
“You Can’t Make a Monkey Out of Me” is the title of one song written about the Scopes Trial, making fun of that serious legal case in 1925. That and other Scopes songs will come to life again in a special program July 25 at the Rhea County Courthouse.
As part of the final day of the 37th annual Scopes Trial Play & Festivities, Dr. Mel Wilhoit will take a light-hearted look at some of the music written about the case in a talk titled “‘You Can’t Make a Monkey Out of Me:’ Music of the Scopes Monkey Trial.”
Wilhoit is a retired professor of music from Bryan College where he taught for 35 years and chaired the Department of Music and Fine Arts. His writings are included in scholarly and popular journals, magazines, encyclopedias and books. His latest publication is the book, “Sing Me a Sankey; The Story of Ira D. Sankey and the Rise of Gospel Hymnody.”
Wilhoit continues as a practicing musician, with recent choral performances at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the world-famous Berlin Philharmonie. He is director of the Chancel Choir at Central Presbyterian Church in Baltimore. He also is a veteran of the Scopes Trial play, having portrayed John Scopes in the first presentation of “Destiny in Dayton” in 1988.
Wilhoit’s talk will be presented in the Scopes Trial Courtroom of the Rhea County Courthouse at 11 a.m., before the festivities’ final performance of “Destiny in Dayton” at 2 p.m. There is no cost for the talk, and tickets for the play and Dinner with the Cast are on sale HERE.
