Last Saturday the members of the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band came to the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music to rehearse with the Center’s Civil War era over-the-shoulder horns in preparation for their performance with these instruments on August 4th at Springfield, Illinois’ Old State Capitol. Their performance along with Chris Vallillo on vocals will accompany a presentation in the Representative’s Hall of the Old State Capitol by Sam Wheeler (Illinois State Historian) and Anne Mosely (Lincoln Museum Curator) on America’s 1860 presidential election, Lincoln, and the Wide Awakes movement that spirited Lincoln’s election to the presidency. The music will include a variety of songs and quicksteps from Lincoln’s time with brief descriptions of the music selections and instruments by Chris Vallillo, Scott Schwartz and Dawn Henry. The concert and presentation starts at 7:30pm and is free and open to the public. The music promises to carry the audience’s imagination back to 1860 when political speeches occurred day and night accompanied by torch-light processions and all kinds of noise and confusion associated with each political party. A Wide Awake parade will begin at 7:00pm at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site on South Eighth Street and will proceed to the Old State Capitol State Historic site. This program is part of this year’s Illinois Bicentennial Celebration. For further information visit Illinois Bicentennial.