Special Civil War era vocal & folk music concert Saturday at Old State Capitol

[July 12, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Lincoln Troubadours, a group of young a cappella music performers, will partner with nationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and folk musician Chris Vallillo to present a special summer concert on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the air-conditioned Representative Hall at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in downtown Springfield. Their performance follows the weekly presentation of "Lincoln and Shakespeare."

The Lincoln Troubadours perform throughout the summer at the Old State Capitol, Lincoln Home, Vachel Lindsay Home, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Old Capitol Farmers Market. Their Civil War era songs have been arranged in eight-part harmony, offering audiences a rich sound not usually heard in songs of this era.

"This special concert provides us with an opportunity to present new arrangements of songs that shape the way we remember the Civil War," said Damien Kaplan, director of the Lincoln Troubadours. "This is part of our ongoing effort to bring history to life through music in Abraham Lincoln's hometown."

New arrangements by Kaplan include "Danny Boy," "Battle Cry of Freedom," "Gentle Annie," "Vacant Chair" and "God Bless America."

Chris Vallillo is the recipient of a 1986 Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award for music composition. He was also a nominee for the Illinois Arts Council's 1987 Governor's Award for Individual Artists. In the mid-1980s he conducted the Schuyler Arts Folk Music Project, interviewing and documenting the last of the pre-radio generation of musicians. The tapes and transcripts of that project are now part of the Library of Congress Folklife Collection in Washington, D.C. From 1990 through 1998 Vallillo served as the performing host and co-producer of the nationally distributed, award-winning public radio performance series "Rural Route 3," performing with a virtual who's who of contemporary and traditional folk and roots musicians. His most recent project, a one-man show titled "Abraham Lincoln in Song," received the endorsement of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and the accompanying CD of music reached No. 10 on Billboard's Bluegrass Albums chart in March 2008. Vallillo recently completed his second term as the Illinois State Scholar for the Smithsonian Institution's traveling exhibit on roots music, "New Harmonies."

The Lincoln Troubadours will perform every Wednesday through Saturday through Sept. 1 in downtown Springfield, including at the Old Capitol Farmers Market on Wednesdays. The performances are part of the popular Springfield "History Comes Alive" program, giving people of all ages an opportunity to hear the music of Lincoln's time, learn historical facts about Lincoln and have a good time.

Schedule for Lincoln Troubadours through Sept. 1

Every Wednesday:

• 11:45 a.m. -- Farmers Market

• 12:30 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

• 1:30 p.m. -- Old State Capitol rotunda

• 3 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

Every Thursday:

• 12:30 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

• 1:30 p.m. -- Old State Capitol rotunda

• 2:30 p.m. -- Union Theatre, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

• 4 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

• 5 p.m. -- Vachel Lindsay Home ice cream social

Every Friday:

• 12:30 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

• 1:30 p.m. -- Old State Capitol rotunda

• 2:30 p.m. -- Union Theatre, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

• 4 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

Every Saturday:

• 12:30 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

• 1:30 p.m. -- Old State Capitol rotunda

• 2:30 p.m. -- Visitor Center, Lincoln Home National Historic Site

• 4 p.m. -- Representative Hall, Old State Capitol

The Old State Capitol and Vachel Lindsay Home state historic sites and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum are administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

[Text from file received from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency]