Past Events
Out of the north
Chorale’s 2024-25 season kicked off with a return to the a cappella music of Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, a repertoire we have explored frequently over the course of our 24-year history. Noted for its evocation of northern landscapes and of the lives of the people who have called this beautiful but harsh environment home for thousands of years, the music of far northern Europe has a haunting, spacious quality which sets it apart from other repertoires, leaving a lasting impression on listeners and performers alike. We sang music by composers Einojuhani Rautavaara, Edvard Grieg, Jan Sibelius, and Ēriks Ešenvalds, as well as folk song arrangements by Gunnar Ericsson.
choral music of the americas
In the Spring we explored the Choral Music of the Americas— the musical expression of a land of immigrants, a melting pot of influences from around the globe, brought together in the Western Hemisphere. We explored African, European, and Native American contributions, and their manifestations in the music of South America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States. Our focus was not solely on the origins of these musics, but on how they have influenced each other over the course of the past five hundred years, leading to something that we all recognize as American, and greater than the sum of its parts.
Chorale Gala 2024: A Toast to the Americas
Thank you to all those who attended out 2024 fundraising gala, A Toast to the Americas, on May 8, 2024, where we celebrated the rich musical and culinary traditions of North and South America. The program featured solo vocal performances by two Chorale members, piano solo and accompaniment by Kit Bridges, a silent auction, paddle raise, and more.
martin: Mass for Double Chorus
Chorale’s Winter concerts focused on Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Chorus. First composed in 1922-24, it was not performed until 1963. Immediately recognized as a masterwork, it has taken its place as one of the major choral works of the twentieth century. The balance of the program was a set of motets by Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn, worthy partners to this modern masterpiece.
A CHICAGO CHORALE CHRISTMAS 2023
We opened our 2023-24 season, as we have each December since 2018 (excluding 2020), with A Chicago Chorale Christmas! Our program will include a varied selection of the ensemble’s repertoire of recognized classics, audience favorites, and new, unfamiliar music composed especially for the holiday season. Composers included Jan Sandström, Eriks Ešenwalds, Péter Tóth, Robert Pearsall, Kerensa Briggs, Giuseppi Verdi, Judith Weir, and Chicagoan Jerome Ramsfield.
The Magic and The Dream: English Choral Music Then to Now
Chicago Chorale presented The Magic and the Dream, an all-English program, June 10-11, including a selection of a cappella masterpieces from the Elizabethan era (William Byrd), the Restoration (Henry Purcell), the Classic-Romantic period (Robert Pearsall and Charles Stanford), and the modern era, featuring William Walton, Herbert Howells, and the very contemporary female composer Kerensa Briggs. An especially beautiful portion of the program was devoted to Howell’s Requiem, a work Chorale has performed twice in the past and was thrilled to revive for these concerts.
MISATANGO
Argentinian composer Martín Palmeri composed Misa a Buenos Aires, also known as "Misatango," in 1996; it was premiered the same year in Buenos Aires. It combines the words of the Roman Catholic Latin Mass with music of the tango, in the nuevo tango style popularized by Astor Piazzolla, with a mezzo soprano soloist and an orchestra consisting of piano, strings, and bandoneon. It first came to international attention when it was performed in Rome in 2013, when it was chosen to pay tribute to the elevation of the former cardinal of Buenos Aires to the papacy, as Pope Francis. It has been performed frequently since that time and is becoming a staple of the choral-orchestral repertoire.
IT TAKES 2/2 TANGO
Thank you to all who joined us for Chicago Chorale’s Annual Fundraising Gala: It Takes 2/2 Tango on February 2, 2023. This year’s festivities had an Argentinian flavor, and featured culinary specialties, wine, dancing, an online auction.
A CHICAGO CHORALE CHRISTMAS 2022
Chorale's annual holiday program, "A Chicago Chorale Christmas," presents a varied selection of music: the ensemble's regular repertoire of recognized classics, new and unfamiliar music composed specifically for the holiday season, as well as audience favorites representing the Advent and Christmas observances of many traditions. We invite you to join us in singing beloved carols, evoking the revelry, joy, and hope of the season.
CHICAGO CHORALE IN SPAIN
June 26, 8.45 pm: Iglesia San Eutropia in El Espino
June 29, 8:00 pm: Monastario de San Zoilo in Carrión de los Condes
July 1, 8:30 pm: Iglesia de Santiago in Medina de Rioseco
July 2, 8:00 pm: Iglesia de La Merced in Burgos
20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
In a joyous trip down memory lane, Chorale revisits repertoires that have been our favorites over the past twenty years. From Renaissance motets by Palestrina and Victoria, to twentieth century American motets by Randall Thompson, Robert Kreuz, and Alan Hovhaness; a set of Scandinavian and Baltic works by Grieg, Dubra, and Ešenvalds, and a concluding group celebrating our coming trip to Spain, by Busto, Consolacion, and Centeno: we will present a panorama of where Chorale has been, and where we are going.
CHICAGO CHORALE: SPAIN AND BEYOND
Join us for a virtual fundraiser for Chicago Chorale. The evening will feature WFMT host Lisa Flynn as emcee, an online auction with fabulous prizes in all price ranges, new musical performances, interviews with Chorale singers, and an opportunity to raise a glass of sangria and a virtual paddle for Chicago Chorale!
memory eternal
Chorale’s March concert, Memory Eternal, featured an a cappella requiem by Alexander Kastalsky and several related motets. Presented in the lovely acoustics of Hyde Park Union Church and St. Vincent DePaul Parish.