The Bishop Hill Heritage Association is hosting a free concert called Booth Shot Lincoln: Folksongs of Illinois, 1818 to 1960 at 1:30 p.m. in the Dairy Building Saturday May 5. Songs include historical ballads that recount the stories of catastrophes, protest songs from the mills, gospel tunes, bluegrass, early country songs, and dance tunes from every ethnic group to settle in the Prairie State. Chicago-based singer and guitarist Bucky Halker brings a sample of these songs to life through both performance and commentary. This program runs approximately 60-70 minutes, with additional time for questions and answers. It is free and open to the public due to the sponsorships of the BHHA and the Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar Speakers Bureau. The Dairy Building is located at 410 North Erickson Street. For more details about this concert, please call 309 927-3899 or email bhha@mymctc.net.
The current edition of the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, presented in cooperation with the Illinois Bicentennial Commission and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, consists of presentations exploring Illinois history and culture in recognition of the state’s 200th anniversary. Bucky Halker has drawn on his extensive knowledge of Illinois folk music gained from years of research and his production of the five-volume CD series, Folksongs of Illinois, to produce this program. Illinois has rich and diverse folk music traditions that remain under recognized by both specialists and the public. From the beginning of Illinois statehood through the folk revival that swept the nation and state in the 1950s, the many people who have made Illinois their home produced a huge body of folksongs and music. What better time than the Illinois Bicentennial to invite the citizens of our state to hear and appreciate the folk music legacy of the Land of Lincoln?
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