Join us for a concert with Skylark Vocal Ensemble on Friday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m.
2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, and the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. To commemorate these events, Skylark presents Francis Poulenc’s monumental and rarely-performed
Figure Humaine (“The Face of Man”), composed in 1943 in occupied France and featuring poems of the resistance movement by Paul Éluard. Regarded as one of the greatest works composed for
a cappella choir, it is an exploration of the grim realities of war, culminating in a cry for liberty.
Interspersed between Poulenc’s stirring settings, Skylark will offer far simpler (but no less beautiful) musical images from the American Civil War era. We will share some well-known pieces that have remained in the popular consciousness, as well as beautiful war-inspired songs that have been long since forgotten (and only found thanks to the Duke University Historical Archives).
The Atlanta History Center will be on site displaying artifacts from the Civil War and World War II. This concert is in collaboration with the
Atlanta History Center and the
Alliance Française d’Atlanta.