EARLY EXPLORERS' "CANOE SONG" DECEMBER 2 AT OLD STATE CAPITOL

SPRINGFIELD, IL - A musical glimpse of life in the early days of Midwestern history from the journals of explorers Marquette and Joliet, LaSalle, DeTonti, and Hennepin will be featured during "Canoe Song:  A Voyager's Tale" scheduled for Friday, December 2 at 10 a.m. at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in downtown Springfield.  The event is free and open to the public.

 

 "Canoe Song" features Barry Cloyd as Etienne Renault and Brian "Fox" Ellis as Pere Zenoble Membre.  Their performance is the recreation of a cross country canoe trip taken in the late 1600s by Renault and Membre, including sing-a-long songs in French and original ballads that give voice to the struggles and triumphs of these intrepid explorers.

 

Before Lewis and Clark, Father Marquette and Joliet explored the rivers of America.  Before America was a nation, LaSalle and DeTonti built a fur-trading empire in the Illinois Country. The text for this show is taken directly from the journals of these earliest explorers.  Through these journals we get a glimpse of life in the early days of the Midwest.  Through traditional paddling songs and true tales we can be immersed in the adventures of these hardy explorers and French fur traders.  The aim of the presentation is to give you a chance to experience local living history through story and song.

 

The presentation is sponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), the Illinois State Historical Society and Illinois College.

 

            The Old State Capitol State Historic Site, administered by IHPA, was occupied in 1839 and was the seat of Illinois government through 1876.  It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free public tours.