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 Featuring speakers and performers who will present programs focused
on rural culture and history, the Dinner Programs are held at the
Union Hall Building, 114 SW Arch Street in downtown Atlanta. Dinner
begins at 5:30 p.m., with the evening’s program starting at 7 p.m.
Reservations are required and limited to approximately 50 people.
The Palms Grill Café features a set of dinner specials, including
homemade desserts for each program. Feel free to BYOB for dinner.
Phone 217-648-5077 to make reservations.
Sat. Oct. 6, 2016 – Illinois Symphony Woodwinds Quintet
Our season opens with a spectacular performance by the Illinois
Symphony Orchestra Woodwind Quintet. Two years ago, the ISO Brass
Quintet entertained us with a variety of brass music, and now we are
thrilled to highlight the ISO woodwinds. The Quintet will offer a
range of great music inspired by rural identity and landscape. This
performance is sponsored by the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Thurs., Oct. 11 – Danny Tackett & The Chicken & Pickin’ Orchestra
Come for a special evening of great country and gospel music, along
with delicious fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes & gravy,
sautéed green beans, dinner salad & homemade desserts.
Fri., Oct. 19, 2018: Lincoln College Jazz Band
Back for an encore performance, members of the Lincoln College jazz
program will offer a fun evening of written and improvised music.
Come and be inspired by the talent and personality of these fine
student musicians. This performance is sponsored by J.M. Abbott &
Associates.
Fri., Nov. 2, 2018: – Illinois Bicentennial Podcast Program
Join us as we celebrate Illinois’ Bicentennial with a live podcast
program hosted by Illinois Humanities, focusing on Atlanta and
Historic Rt. 66. Local residents will relate stories of their
connections to the Mother Road and singer/songwriter Chris Vallillo
will be on hand to provide transportation related music and stories.
Thurs., Nov. 8, 2019 – Danny Tackett & The Chicken & Pickin’
Orchestra
Danny and the band return for another special evening of great
country and gospel music, along with delicious fried chicken,
homemade mashed potatoes & gravy, sautéed green beans, dinner salad
& homemade desserts.
Fri., Nov. 16, 2018: – Exploring Native American Culture Through
Oral Traditions, Music & Food
Dressed in traditional Ojibwa regalia, author Kim Sigafus, will
share her knowledge of many aspects of Native American cultures,
including Native people who lived in Illinois in the 1800s. Kim will
describe Native American foodways, including the planting of the
Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash. Drumming and singing, she
will also share a traditional lullaby and invite everyone to learn
some Native American language as well as to view and handle Native
artifacts.
Sun., Dec. XX, 2018 – “Christmas Cantata”
TBD
Fri., Jan. 11, 2019 – Spoon River Anthology
Spoon River Anthology, a collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters
published in 1915-16, presents an unvarnished representation of life
in a rural, small town through the voices of inhabitants of its
cemetery, who reflect upon their experiences from beyond the grave.
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Historical actors Paddy and John Lynn will portray characters from Spoon River
Anthology in costume. Their renditions will be interspersed with folk and
popular music of the period performed by singer, guitarist, and banjoist, Patti
Ecker.
Fri., Jan. 25, 2019 – Sports and Community
Can sports events have an impact on a town’s sense of community? We’ll consider
that question with a panel discussion focused on Atlanta High School’s 1959
regional basketball victory over Lincoln, as well as the several state baseball
and softball championship titles earned in the early 2000s by Olympia High
School. Players, coaches, and cheerleaders will share their memories and stories
of those events. The program will include rare film from 1959, as well as video
and photos from the early 2000s.
Fri., Feb. 8, 2019 – The Farmer is the Man
Chris Vallillo is a nationally acclaimed singer/songwriter and folk musician who
strives to make the people and places of ‘unmetropolitan’ America come to life
in song. Chris performs on six-string and slide bottleneck guitars, and his
combination of song and narrative present an entertaining portrait of life in
the Midwest. This performance is sponsored by the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Fri., Feb. 22, 2019 – Making Media Sense in Changing Times (T)
An expert in public news literacy, press practices and journalism ethics,
Professor Stephanie Craft of the University of Illinois School of Journalism
joins us to examine how the public can navigate a complex and varied media
environment and make sense of the 24/7 news cycle. Professor Craft received her
Ph.D. from Stanford University and is widely recognized for her writing and
teaching.
Fri., Mar. 8, 2019 – How Corn Changed & Then Changed Everything Else
About 10,000 years ago, a weedy grass growing in Mexico transformed itself into
a larger and more useful plant: the cereal grass now known as corn. Corn
sustained the American colonies and the early United States, then virtually
created the Midwest - a region settled faster than any other in history. Even
for those who know corn well, there is much to learn about its historic impact
and why it is so vital today. Author Cynthia Clampitt has pursued food history
over three decades and six continents. Join her as she introduces us to the
remarkable, fascinating, vital, but often overlooked, impact corn has had on our
history and everyday lives.
Fri., Mar. 22, 2019 – Orpheus Mandolin Orchestra
Music has always been an important part of rural culture, so we’re excited to
welcome The Orpheus Mandolin Orchestra, the performing ensemble of The McLean
County Mandolin Society. Classical mandolin ensembles were popular around the
turn of the 20th-Century (1890-1920) with music from Tin Pan Alley, Ragtime, and
early dance tunes arranged in parts, more like a string quartet than a
traditional band. Join us for this special evening of what is sure to be some
great, toe-tapping music. This program is sponsored by Ancel, Glink, Diamond,
Bush, DiCianni, & Krafthefer.
[Bill Thomas] |
