MANTORVILLE — "Abraham Lincoln in Song,"an examination of the music that Lincoln would have listened to and enjoyed, will be presented at 7 p.m. April 30 at the Mantorville Opera House,5 W. Fifth St., Mantorville.
Chris Vallillo , a singer and folklorist, takes the audience on a musical journey that blends music and storytelling as it traces the life of Lincoln from his humble beginnings to the White House and ultimately his assassination at the end of the Civil War. The program combines Lincoln's own words with songs from the era.
Vallillo started out as an archaeologist, discovered his love of historical music and worked for a time for the Smithsonianas a song catcher. He studied Lincoln extensively to put together a CD of the songs of the mid-19th century that Lincoln would have known. That CD then formed the basis for the live performance of "Lincoln in Song."
Vallillo has performed this show at the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum, the Lincoln home in Springfield, Ill., and at theaters, museums and historic sites around the country.
Tickets are $15, available at Memorabilia Antiques in Mantorville; 507-696-6986. Proceeds from the event go to restoration of the Civil War recruiting station in Wasioja.
