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Home > Press FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: January 4, 2008
MUSICAL STYLES COLLIDE IN CHICAGO A CAPPELLA’S NEW CONCERT,
Chicago, IL — Chicago a cappella brings together two radically different musical styles in the ensemble’s new concert, Romanticism and Rock ‘n’ Roll. The acclaimed nine-voice group will sing gems from the 19th-century Romantic tradition alongside energy-filled charts from the ‘50s and ‘60s, the first generation of a cappella doo-wop music. The concert will include works by Brahms, Schumann, Grieg, and the English Romantics, together with pop classics such as “Under the Boardwalk,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “In the Still of the Night.” Chicago a cappella’s yearlong 15th Anniversary Commissioning Series will continue with a rocking new “Roll, Jordan, Roll” by Rollo Dilworth. Performed with Chicago a cappella’s trademark blend and intimate style, Romanticism and Rock ‘n’ Roll will be a new way to experience two beloved musical traditions. Romanticism and Rock ‘n’ Roll will take place Saturday, February 9, 2008, at 8:00 pm, at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake Street in Oak Park, IL; Sunday, February 10, at 4:00 pm at Community United Methodist Church, 20 N. Center St. in Naperville, IL; Friday, February 22, at 8:00 pm, at Gottlieb Hall at the Merit School of Music, 28 S. Peoria Street in Chicago, IL; and Sunday, February 24, at 4:00 pm, at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Ave. in Evanston, IL. For tickets, free audio samples and more information, visit chicagoacappella.org or call (773) 755-1628. Romanticism The five men and four women in Chicago a cappella will square off in the group’s upcoming concert: the women will sing romantically and the men will rock the house – until the two groups joins forces to sing music in both styles. The women will present the Romantic side with Verdi’s “Laudi alla Vergine Maria,” Amy Beach’s Shakespeare setting “Come Unto These Yellow Sands,” and three partsongs by Brahms. With the men finally convinced of Romanticism’s appeal, the full ensemble will perform Robert Schumann’s amusing “Zahnweh” (“Toothache,” based on a poem by Robert Burns); English Romantic partsongs by Robert Pearsall, William Sterndale Bennett, and C.V. Stanford; and a choral version of “The Death of Aase,” from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt. Rock ‘n’ Roll The guys of Chicago a cappella will recreate the excitement of the street-corner rock ‘n’ roll tradition with a cappella performances of classic songs by the Isley Brothers (“Shout!”) and Elvis Presley (“Heartbreak Hotel”), as well as throwback tunes by the Nylons (“Silhouettes”) and Queen (“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”). When the women are convinced to let their hair down, the full ensemble will revel in the doo-wop classic “In the Still of the Night” and the Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk,” before ending with Chicago a cappella’s unforgettable version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Romanticism and Rock ‘n’ Roll will also feature the world premiere of a new work by Rollo Dilworth as part of Chicago a cappella’s 15th Anniversary Commissioning Series. Dilworth is Director of Choral Activities at North Park University School of Music in Chicago, and a renowned arranger, educator and clinician. For the second of his two commissions for Chicago a cappella this season, Dilworth has created a rocking new arrangement of “Roll, Jordan, Roll.” 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.” In 2007, Jonathan Miller appointed Patrick Sinozich as the group’s first Music Director. Sinozich is preparing three concerts in the 2007-08 season, including Romanticism and Rock ‘n’ Roll. 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: Romanticism and Rock ‘n’ Roll Tickets:
$35/$28/$22 seniors (62+) and students (23 and under)/ group rates
available.
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# 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; Dr. Scholl 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. ### |
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