EIU Media Relations

Musical Fanfare to Welcome Queen Elizabeth I to EIU Campus

A six-week commemoration of the rule of Queen Elizabeth I will begin Thursday with some of the same pageantry the queen herself experienced 400 years ago.

A musical fanfare will open the ceremony, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Eastern Illinois University 's Booth Library's Marvin Foyer. All interested persons are invited to attend.

The highlight of the evening will be the unveiling of a new traveling exhibition - "Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend" - which examines the queen's long and colorful life and reign. The exhibition, which is based upon images reproduced from rare books, manuscripts, maps, letters, paintings and artifacts, will be on display at the library through April 16.

Subsequent events planned for the month of March include a performance by Eastern's Symphonic Wind Ensemble at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 7, in McAfee Auditorium. Featured selections will include music from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book of William Byrd (1543-1623).

Faculty members from Eastern's College of Arts and Humanities will facilitate an interdisciplinary discussion of both the distinctiveness and the relevance to today's society of Elizabeth I and her times at 7 p.m. Monday, March 8, in Lumpkin Hall, room 2030 (auditorium). Newton Key, history; Peter Loewen, music; Christopher J. Mitchell, theatre arts; and Carol Stevens, English, will present opening remarks on how their respective disciplines have been influenced by Queen Elizabeth I's times; comments, discussion and questions from the audience will follow.

The 1937 film, "Fire Over England," starring Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth, Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey and Vivian Leigh, will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, in Booth Library, room 4440.

A second faculty panel will consider "Women of Power, Women of Culture: Elizabeth 's Medieval Heritage," at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11, in Buzzard Auditorium, room 1501. Bailey Young, history, will offer historical background, while Bonnie Irwin, English, will discuss Shahrazad and her role as a feminist icon in Arabia . Francine McGregor, English, will share her research into women and romance, while Timothy Shonk, English, will discuss how women were depicted in medieval manuscripts.

Admission to all events is free and open to the public.

Additional events related to Queen Elizabeth's life and reign will take place throughout the month of March and early April. See http://www.eiu.edu/booth/elizabeth/ for complete details.