An address at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and a speech on the National Mall in Washington, DC both mark important eras in our history. Why did the words from these speeches make such a dramatic impact on the historical memory of the United States?

Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches are separated by almost 100 years, yet they share a compelling similarity: both speeches make the seemingly impossible appear not only possible but desirable.

Join University of Maryland musicologist and American music specialist Patrick Warfield for a special pre-concert discussion of one of the most unusual pieces on the evening's program: Charles Ives's "General William Booth Enters Into Heaven."

Dr. Warfield will speak about how Ives borrowed pre-existing hymns and popular songs to create a piece that expresses his personal understanding of justice. Come ready to sing!