February’s meeting featured a recorded plenary session from the Chicago 2021 AGM “Jane Austen and the Arts.” This presentation was a performance at the closing brunch by Stephen Alltop and Josefien Stoppelenburg of musical selections mentioned in Jane Austen’s writing. Maestro Alltop, music director and conductor of the Champaign Urbana Symphony Orchestra at the University of Illinois, was joined by his wife Dutch-born Ms. Stoppelenburg, famed for her sparkling vocal agility and her passionate and insightful musical interpretations. The performance concluded with a rousing (and hilarious) rendition of “The Battle of Prague.” – From Newsletter 155, Elspeth Flood
