Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Years— this is the season for people to get together, share good food, listen to music, enjoy family and friends, and fight off the gloom of shortening days and wintry weather. We are challenged, during these covid19-afflicted times, to find ways to do this safely.
Nearly every year since 1928, the Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council has sponsored a Thanksgiving Day service at Rockefeller Chapel. In a normal year, this service fills Rockefeller Chapel, and features prayers, readings and songs from the representatives of diverse faith communities, music by the Chicago Children’s Choir, and a keynote speaker. It is the single largest, most diverse gathering of our community, and effectively kicks off Hyde Park’s holiday season.
This year, the event will be on-line and virtual, and will feature Chicago Chorale! We are currently in the production stages of our virtual choral performance, collaborating with the Hyde Park neighborhood chapter of the Chicago Children’s Choir in a performance of Stephen Paulus’ beloved choral piece, The Road Home. Behind the scenes, this production is a technical marvel— each member of Chorale, as well as each member of the Children’s Choir, prepares, on their own, at home, their own video and audio contribution to the finished performance, which is then engineered and mixed by Chorale member Alex Luke, in his own home. Alex will send his finished product to those who are engineering the service, and the final production will be available for public viewing Thursday, November 26, at 11:00 AM on the Interfaith Council website, hpkinterfaith.org, . It will continue to be available for viewing, through the holiday weekend.
This year’s featured speaker will be Najeeba Syeed, Associate Professor in Muslim & Interreligious Studies at Chicago Theological Seminary. She will speak on Angelic Troublemakers: Interfaith Collaboration in Human Rights. Other participants will include Maurice Charles, Dean of Rockefeller Chapel, and representatives of the area’s various faith communities.
Najeeba Syeed, Associate Professor in Muslim & Interreligious Studies at Chicago Theological Seminary
Many organizations have been forced to shut down regular operations, and find creative ways to continue with their programming. Live musical performance has been hit so hard— and Chorale’s health is at the front of my mind, all the time. I think constantly about ways to keep singers and audience engaged. What a wonderful opportunity, to collaborate with these young people, and to serve the community from which we draw so much of our identity. I hope you’ll be able to tune in and hear us, and participate in the rest of the event.
Maurice Charles, Dean of Rockefeller Chapel