A four-part festival begins a week from today, inspired by a long-lost cantata set to the poem Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight by Springfield’s own Vachel Lindsay. The cantata, by African-American composer Florence Price, was found in Price’s papers 14 years ago and decades after the Chicagoan’s death in 1953. In four separate events, Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight will spotlight Lincoln, Price and Lindsay. In the fourth and final event, Price’s cantata will be played in Springfield for the first time. But first, the festival begins Feb. 22 at First Presbyterian Church with an event centering on Price called, “Don’t You Tell Me No: The Life of Florence Price in Story and Song.” Set to perform are Tiffany Williams, Reggie Guyton, Bonnie Ettinger and Springfield Choral Society ensembles. The second part, Feb. 23 at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American Museum, is part panel discussion and performance by the Illinois Symphony Orchestra String Quartet. It is titled “In Our Little Town: A Musical Conversation About Race.” Reservations are required – go to springfieldchoralsociety.org for more info. The third part, “Lincoln Walks at the Lindsay Home,” features guided tours of the poet’s home (now a state historic site) at 603 S. Fifth St. Tour reservations at Eventbrite.com are recommended. Finally, the conclusion – “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight – A Festival Concert” takes place Feb. 24 at the UIS Performing Arts Center with a performance by the Springfield Choral Society and UIS Orchestra conducted by Jacobsen Woollen. All events are free.
Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight: A Springfield Festival
Thu., Feb. 22, 7:30pm; Fri., Feb. 23, 6:30pm; Sun., Feb. 24, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm and 7:30pm
Four locations (see write-up)
Springfieldchoralsociety.org
This article appears in The Wedding Issue 2024.
