Museum, DHS combine for program

BY ANNA HERKAMP
Commercial-News

DANVILLE April 24, 2009 11:00 pm

— If Abraham Lincoln had an iPod, his number-one song on it would probably be “Dixie.”
Marty Lindvahl, choral director at DHS, will share this bit of trivia with younger audience members during next week’s “Lincoln in Word and Song” concerts.
“He used to whistle that around the White House,” she said. “It was a pop song. It’d be like Lil Wayne.”
The concerts — one performed for area grade schools on Wednesday and another planned for the public Thursday evening — are part of the year’s celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday, a collaboration among the Vermilion County Museum and the DHS choral department.
The performance features Danville High School’s entire choral department singing songs from “Lincoln: A Lasting Peace,” as well as others including “I am but a Small Voice,” and of course, “Dixie.”
Before and after the choral performances, DHS students will perform vignettes behind a screen that illustrate the monologues performed by area actors from area theater groups.
The drama productions will depict Lincoln’s life in Vermilion County, while the choral performances are taken from some of his speeches.
The actors will portray friends and acquaintances of Lincoln, including Enoch Kingsbury, an local minister; Oliver Davis, an attorney who knew Lincoln, Clara Palmer; an early resident of Danville, Elizabeth Harmon, whose husband Lincoln knew well; Thomas McKibben, a local sheriff; Jim Kilpatrick, the owner of the Vermilion County Press who followed him throughout all of his political campaigns and Dr. William Fithian, another close friend of Lincoln.
Lincoln himself will also make a stage appearance.
Sue Richter, director of the Vermilion County Museum, said the combination of music and drama is an effective way to tell Lincoln’s story.
“It’s the story of Lincoln presented on a national, state and local level all at the same time,” she said. “We want people to walk way feeling like they know a little more about Lincoln.”
Richter directed the vignettes with DHS Players Director Nancy Henderson. The script for the vignettes was written by Don Richter.
Lindvahl said the performances are different from what much of the choral department usually does, but it’s been a worth-while diversion.
“It’s been a really fun project. It’s good for kids to learn a little more about Lincoln. It’s different than a lot of the music we work on,” she said. “I think it will be really nice.

COMING UP
The Vermilion County Museum Society and Danville High School’s choral groups will present “Lincoln in Word and Song” at 7 p.m. Thursday in the DHS auditorium. This program is free. For additional information, contact the museum at 442-2922. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with open seating. This program is sponsored in part with a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.
Mark your calendars: DHS presents its 13th annual Salute to Veterans at 7 p.m. May 21 in the DHS auditorium. The concert is free.