Lincoln’s Voice

by Lisa Duncan

“Really, it’s about his extraordinary mind,” reflected Christopher Lloyd before taking the stage at the Lobero Theatre as narrator for Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait.” “He didn’t project physically the way you’d expect, but when he opened his mouth – or wrote something on paper – it was, ‘Wow!’ It just took you aback.”

The Emmy Award-winning actor, beloved for memorable roles in Taxi, Back to the Future, and The Addams Family, lent his unmistakable voice to Abraham Lincoln’s timeless words as Gemma New conducted the Music Academy of the West Academy Chamber Orchestra in one of the Summer Music Festival’s most memorable performances.

The thoughtfully curated program celebrated both America’s musical heritage and its future, pairing Copland’s patriotic masterpiece with the world premiere of the orchestrated version of Jasmine Arielle Barnes’ “American Lament,” commissioned for and performed by two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, co-director of the Music Academy’s Lehrer Vocal Institute. The evening concluded with Schumann’s “Symphony No. 2,” brilliantly performed by the Academy’s gifted young musicians.

The concert was dedicated to Susan Lichtenstein and John Rokacz, presented in appreciation of Kandy Luria-Budgor, and supported by the John Mithun Community Access Fund.

For one memorable evening, Christopher Lloyd stepped away from Hollywood’s fictional characters to give voice to one of history’s greatest figures, reminding the audience that Lincoln’s words still speak with remarkable power. As concertgoers lingered on the terrace, more than a few could be heard echoing Lloyd’s own reaction: “Wow.”