 |
|
|
|
 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
|
|
Home > Press FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: October 26, 2007
CHICAGO
A CAPPELLA SINGS A RAPTUROUS COLLECTION OF HOLIDAY MUSIC
Acclaimed
vocal ensemble presents two world premiere commissions Chicago, IL — Chicago a cappella will sing a rapturous collection of music for the holiday season at their upcoming concert, Holidays a cappella: The Season of Light. The acclaimed vocal ensemble, known for its unique and wide-ranging repertoire, will sing works ranging from Gregorian chant and Renaissance music by Thomas Tallis to spirituals and new arrangements of familiar Christmas and Chanukah songs. Chicago a cappella continues its 15th Anniversary Commissioning Series with premieres of two new works by Chicago-area composers: Rollo Dilworth’s new arrangement of the spiritual “Sistah Mary,” and Stacy Garrop’s take on the traditional Hebrew song “Lo Yisa Goy.” Holidays a cappella: The Season of Light will take place Sunday, December 2, 2007, at 7:30 pm, at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, IL; Friday, Dec. 7, at 8:00 pm, at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Michigan Avenue at Delaware in Chicago; Saturday, Dec. 8, at 8:00 pm, at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake Street in Oak Park, IL; and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 4:00 pm, at Community United Methodist Church, 20 N. Center Street in Naperville, IL. For tickets, free audio samples and more information, visit chicagoacappella.org or call Chicago a cappella at (773) 755-1628. Original Music by Living Composers Since its very first concerts 15 years ago, Chicago a cappella has championed music by living composers. The group’s upcoming concert will include brilliant works for the holiday season by American composers Gwyneth Walker (“The Christ-Child’s Lullaby”), Carol Barnett (“Hodie”), Elizabeth Alexander (“When the Song of the Angels is Stilled”) and Howard Helvey (“O Lux Beatissima”). Holidays a cappella: The Season of Light will also feature “What Sweeter Music” by Chicago composer Wayland Rogers, a work written especially for Chicago a cappella and debuted at the ensemble’s very first Christmas concert in 1994. A World of Musical Surprises Audiences yearning for something beyond traditional and typical holiday music will take delight in Chicago a cappella’s musical tastes. The group will perform seasonal music from Denmark, France, Canada and Nigeria at their upcoming concert. Familiar songs like John Jacob Niles’ “I Wonder as I Wander” and even the ubiquitous “Jingle Bells” get fresh and surprising treatments by the acclaimed nine-voice ensemble. Holidays a cappella: The Season of Light will also feature the world premiere of two new works by Chicago composers as part of Chicago a cappella’s 15th Anniversary Commissioning Series. Stacy Garrop is a recipient of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s First Hearing Composition Competition and the inaugural winner of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award. For her second commission as part of this series, Garrop has written a haunting and heartfelt meditation on peace based on the traditional tune “Lo Yisa Goy,” with words from the prophet Micah, in Hebrew and English. Rollo Dilworth is Director of Choral Activities at North Park University School of Music in Chicago, and a renowned arranger, educator and clinician. For the first of his two commissions for Chicago a cappella this season, Dilworth has created a rhythmic new arrangement of the little-known spiritual “Sistah Mary” which includes vocal jazz, gospel and spiritual elements. Chicago a cappella Chicago a cappella has become known as one of the area’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Spanning a repertoire from Gregorian chant to the Beatles and beyond, the group is acclaimed for its superb ensemble singing, fascinating programs, and intimate, engaging performances under founder and artistic director Jonathan Miller. Since 1993, Chicago a cappella has presented over 100 concerts in the Chicago area in addition to appearances in ten states and in Mexico. The ensemble has recorded six CDs, and its 2005 release, Eclectric, was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “an overflowing cornucopia of choral delights…a testament to Chicago's rich musical life.” The American Organist recently praised the group’s “breathtaking ensemble and control [and] stylistic elegance... Chicago a cappella is a jewel in the crown of Chicago's musical life.”
Calendar Editors, Please Note: Chicago a
cappella: Holidays a cappella: The Season of Light # #
# Chicago a cappella is partially supported by The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; a CityArts Program 2 grant from the City of Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs and the Illinois Arts Council; the Oak Park Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Villages of Oak Park, Forest Park and River Forest; and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. ### |
 |
|
 |
|||
