We do have some interesting auditions coming up, including those for the newly-formed Liberty Town Productions in Libertyville, the state-level 30th Annual Illinois Professional Theatre Auditions, and the search for a diverse pool of talent by Six Flags Great America for the upcoming season.  

A couple of organizational events as well: the Illinois Music Educators Association 2009 All-State Conference and the Illinois Flute Society Mid-Winter Festival.

If you come across anything we haven’t listed yet, please let us know… even better, let the people involved know, so they can get in the habit of sending us their info!

The first half was the women of Coriolis performing Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. Well-known area harpist Claudine Cappelle-Harig, as the sole instrumentalist, provided captivating accompaniment to the polished voices of the ladies.

A “blitz” of carols from various composers and centuries comprised the second half. Earlier works featured composers such as Boris Ord, Louis Halsey, Peter Warlock, Robin Wells, William Llewellyn, Kenneth Leighton, Elizabeth Maconchy and John Rutter. More modern works were by Arvo Pärt, Elliot Levine and former Chicago composer Bob Applebaum.

The Byron Colby Barn at Prairie Crossing in Grayslake once again proved to be a perfect venue for smaller groups and ensembles like Coriolis (12 singers), offering the proverbial “intimate” atmosphere… with performers directly in front of the audience in a scale much more accessible than a huge concert hall. (The fact that the Barn has a BYOB policy doesn’t hurt either!) The Barn’s popular Early Music Series is also testimony to its “rightness” for such events.

FWIW… after returning home, I heard from an associate who attended the Holiday Concert at the College of Lake County (CLC), occuring simultaneously with the Coriolis concert just a few miles away. The CLC report was standard for these concerts: full house, engaged and appreciative audience, awesome job by the Choir of Lake County, nice tight performance by the CLC Wind Ensemble, and a stirring combined chorus & instrumental finale.

Handel’s Messiah is known for its majestic soaring melodies, including the always-popular “Hallelujah Chorus“. Traditional performances have the audience rising to their feet in celebration to participate in the Chorus. Judas Maccabeus tells a story about the fight for freedom, which resondates particularly well with US audiences. Over the years, members become more-and-more familiar with the overall work and frequently desire to sing along with the remainder of the choral sections; former chorister are always on the lookout for ways to sing en masse again (without the weekly rehearsals).

Venues which host the Sing-Alongs usually have extra copies of the score, but the attendee is always strongly encourged to check with the venue in advance.  The thrill of singing along with hundreds of others in the audience, frequently accompanied by a grand pipe organ or small orchestra, will create memories that will last a lifetime.

Sunday Dec 7th features two 4PM Messiah sessions at opposite corners of the county:

• Barrington Area Sing-Along at Presbyterian Church of Barrington
• Zion Area Sing-Along at Grace Missionary Church, featuring the FullScore Chamber Orchestra

Sunday Dec 14 will offer the Judas Maccabeus as well as two full Messiah Sing-Alongs:

• Judas Maccabeus: 4:00PM at Lakeside Congregation in Highland Park 
• 6:00PM at First United Methodist Church, just north of the border in Kenosha WI
• 7:30PM at St. Peter Catholic Church in Antioch, featuring the Antioch Community Chorus

Sunday Dec 21 features the final Messiah Sing Along of the season for our area:

• 4:00PM at First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield, with choir and orchestra.

For those not desiring to sing the entire work, there will be traditional performances where the audience is invited to sing only the “Hallelujah Chorus“, as well as the dozens of area Christmas Concerts which frequently have excerpts from the overall work. Again, please check our Events Calendar for the “big picture”, then follow the links to the performers’ own websites for the most current info.