

# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Animal Songs with Liz Pearse
- **Event Start and End Date**: Fri, 06 Feb, 2026 at 05:30 pm – Fri, 06 Feb, 2026 at 07:30 pm
- **Event Description**: The Western Illinois Museum presents Animal Songs, an evening of music and conversation that invites a deeper consideration of animals and those who advocate for their humane treatment. Performed by the uniquely talented vocalist Liz Pearse, and presented in partnership with the Humane Society of McDonough County, the program takes place on Friday, February 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

Animal Songs, created by Pearse, features whimsical and poignant musical portraits of creatures ranging from wombats and goldfish to dolphins, manatees, capybaras, and even a Tibetan goat. The music explores our complex relationship with the animal kingdom through the intimacy of song, drawing on both historical works and compositions by living composers. The program includes selections from Francis Poulenc’s early 20th-century song cycle Le bestiaire, as well as contemporary works such as Three Wombat Songs, inspired by the Victorian-era practice of keeping exotic animals as pets, and The Diver, a lyrical tribute to the often-maligned pigeon. As Pearse notes, “The medium of song has a way of disarming an audience, allowing for deeper consideration of a subject… I want to explore why animals are denied the autonomy we afford ourselves, and ask whether that is just.” 

Following the performance, visitors are invited to join a community conversation with Pearse, Humane Society President Bonnie Smith-Skripps, and Western Illinois Museum Executive Director Sue Scott. The discussion will explore the artistic inspiration behind the concert and its connection to local animal welfare efforts. It will highlight people in our region who have championed humane treatment, including 19th-century social activist Rose Jolly and 1980s Humane Society founder Alice Henry.

There will also be opportunities to socialize over refreshments and learn more about the Humane Society’s current work. As part of the program, the Museum will record an oral history with community members dedicated to the Humane Society of McDonough County as part of the Museum’s ongoing effort to preserve local stories, voices, and achievements within the region’s historical narrative.

The bar opens at 5:00 PM. A suggested $5 donation at the door helps support the Museum’s community programming.

Program Schedule
5:30 PM – Animal Songs Performance
6:30 PM – Refreshments Break
6:40 PM – Post-Performance Community Conversation
Liz Pearse, Vocalist
Bonnie Smith-Skripps, President, HSMC
Sue Scott, Executive Director, WIM

Plan Your Visit
Located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square, the Western Illinois Museum is a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating the history, culture, and traditions of McDonough County. The building is fully accessible, with free parking available.

For a full schedule of events, visit wimuseum.org or follow us on social media @wimuseum.

Questions? Call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email info@wimuseum.org.

This program is funded in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the Culture and Animals Foundation.

About Liz Pearse
Vocalist Liz Pearse has alternately been described as a “badass”, having “a near-psychic understanding of what a composer is trying to accomplish”, and possessing “a voice made of arrows forged in a volcanic pit, transforming the didactic and mundanely intellectual into actual fire”. After a childhood spent playing every instrument she could find, Liz has focused her career on exploring the infinite possibilities of the human voice. For this project, she has commissioned works by composers Fredrick Gifford, Kate Pukinskis, Stacey Barelos, Anthony Donofrio, Jason Belcher, Daniel Nass, Emily Joy Sullivan, Jacob Mashak, and Andrea Reinkemeyer. 
Liz enjoys working as a solo artist and as a chamber musician, and has performed all over North America (from Canada to Mexico and coast-to-coast in the USA) and in both Europe and the United Kingdom. Though solo performance and self-accompanying are a large part of her practice, Liz has a voracious appetite for the camaraderie of chamber music, mostly with ensembles Quince and Damselfly Trio. When she’s not performing, Liz lives and teaches in the beautiful Driftless region of Minnesota. Learn more about her work at lizpearse.com

About the Humane Society of McDonough County
The Humane Society of McDonough County (HSMC) is a nonprofit organization celebrating over 40 years of helping needy animals in McDonough County. Working in partnership with the McDonough County Animal Shelter, HSMC promotes the adoption of shelter animals and provides foster care and sponsorship for pets that need extra support in finding permanent homes.

In addition to adoption advocacy, HSMC funds specialized medical care for shelter animals, supports low-cost spay and neuter programs, and helps keep pets with their families through community resources such as the Pet Food Pantry and Angel Fund.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/macomb/animal-songs-with-liz-pearse/200029485780749
- **Event Categories**: entertainment, music, art, concerts, performances, fine-arts, nonprofit, it, live-music
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 29

## Ticket Details

- **Ticket URL**: http://facebook.com/200029485780749?utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=macomb-events

## Event venue details

- **city**: Macomb
- **state**: IL
- **country**: United States
- **location**: 201 S Lafayette St, Macomb, IL, United States, Illinois 61455
- **lat**: 40.45741
- **long**: -90.67146
- **full address**: 201 S Lafayette St, Macomb, IL, United States, Illinois 61455

## Event Organizer details

- **affiliate_id**: 2
- **organizer**: Western Illinois Museum (https://allevents.in/org/western-illinois-museum/24969840)

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: banner
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/c12704462afdbfa43290f44ebc5ffc0f02305ed9cc83ee6d2557156feec24a1a-rimg-w1200-h628-dc7689bd-gmir?v=1769603496
- **Alt text**: thumbnail
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/03d0522da57a0e0a26d8fcb52691630518c64681ea7a6b8e46dc0a7aa867e528-rimg-w300-h300-dc7a8dbf-gmir?v=1769603496

## FAQs

- **Q**: When is the event happening?
  - **A:** Fri, 06 Feb, 2026 at 05:30 pm
- **Q**: Where is the event happening?
  - **A:** 201 S Lafayette St, Macomb, IL, United States, Illinois 61455
- **Q**: Who is organizing the event?
  - **A:** Western Illinois Museum
- **Q**: What type of event is this?
  - **A:** entertainment, music, art, concerts, performances, fine-arts, nonprofit, it, live-music
- **Q**: Where can I find ticket details about Animal Songs with Liz Pearse ?
  - **A:** You can find ticket details about this event on AllEvents.

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