Chicago a cappella - The Birth of Gospel

The Birth of Gospel Friday, April 11, 2014, 8:00 pm Pilgrim Congregational Church 460 Lake St., Oak Park

Sunday, April 13, 2014, 4:00 pm Wentz Concert Hall 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville

Saturday, April 12, 2014, 8:00 pm Nichols Concert Hall 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston

Saturday, April 19, 2014, 8:00 pm Logan Center for the Arts 915 East 60th St., Chicago

Chicago a cappella Alexia Kruger, Soprano Margaret Quinnette, Soprano Elizabeth Grizzell, Mezzo-soprano Emily Price, Mezzo-soprano Ace Gangoso, Tenor Trevor Mitchell, Tenor Matt Greenberg, Bass Benjamin Rivera, Bass Michael Roemer, Bass Founder and Artistic Director Jonathan Miller Guest Music Director Rollo Dilworth This program was made possible through the generosity of the Klaff Family Foundation Chicago a cappella is supported by the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s International Connections Fund; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; the Oak Park Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Villages of Oak Park, Forest Park and River Forest; and the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Season Sponsors: The Homestead Hotel and Merit School of Music. Media Sponsor: The Naperville Sun.

The Birth of Gospel

1

A B O U T C H I C AG O A C APPE LL A An ensemble of professional singers founded in 1993 by Jonathan Miller, Chicago a cappella presents an annual Chicago-area subscription series, creates studio recordings as well as live and broadcast-media musical content, and gives performances on tour and in special engagements. Long recognized for vocal virtuosity and innovative programming, the ensemble enjoys a reputation as a leader in the choral field.

With more than 325 concerts to its credit, Chicago a cappella has produced more than 200 performances on its Chicago-based series. On tour, the group has appeared in 13 American states and in Mexico. The ensemble has been heard frequently on WFMT radio and through broadcasts distributed by American Public Media, including the highly-regarded Performance Today.

The ensemble has produced nine CD recordings of music ranging from Renaissance masses to contemporary works.

From its inception, Chicago a cappella has been a champion of living composers.

Since 1993 the group has presented more than 100 works in their world, national, or local premiere. Chicago a cappella has commissioned new music from leading contemporary composers, including Paul Crabtree, Joseph Jennings, Chen Yi, Stacy Garrop, Rollo Dilworth, Tania Le贸n, and Ezequiel Vi帽ao.

As part of its work to give back to the community, Chicago a cappella has recently expanded its educational community engagement. Current programs include an annual Youth Choral Festival, where youth ensembles spend a day working directly with our singers and directors, and a High School Internship Program, a unique multifaceted immersion in the world of both performance and arts administration.

2936 N. Southport Ave., 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60657 Phone: (773) 281-7820 | Fax: (773) 435-6453 www.chicagoacappella.org | info@chicagoacappella.org Founder and Artistic Director..................................................................................................Jonathan Miller Executive Director.............................................................................................................. Matthew Greenberg Box Office & Concert Manager........................................................................................................ Deb Hoban Marketing & Operations Coordinator................................................................................Shaina Farwell Education Outreach Coordinator.............................................................................................Susan Schober Interns..................................................................................................... Alexandra Kunath, Gretchen Waltz Renee Baker Gary Belkin Claudia Divis William K. Flowers Helen C. Gagel Joyce Grenis (President) Howard Hush 2

Chicago a cappella

Board of Directors Murray Kopelow (Vice-President) Robert B. Linn David Perlman (Secretary) Monroe Roth Stephen Shaw (Treasurer) Maria T. Suarez Barbara Volin

C H I C AG O A C APPE LL A C D S Available in the lobby: $16 each (includes sales tax)

Days of Awe and Rejoicing: Radiant Gems of Jewish Music

Christmas a cappella A celebration of the holiday season with Christmas songs from around the world

Shall I Compare Thee?

Contemporary settings of Shakespeare’s timeless words

Eclectric New works, familiar favorites, pop & jazz. “An overflowing cornucopia of choral delights” (ChicagoTribune)

Holidays a cappella Live Live performances of Christmas spirituals, Chanukah songs and holiday music from around the world

Go Down, Moses A stunning collection of spirituals

Mathurin Forestier: Masses World-premiere recording of breathtaking Renaissance church music

Palestrina: Music for the Christmas Season Brilliant Renaissance polyphony by the Italian master Palestrina The Birth of Gospel

3

L O C AT I O N I N F O R M AT I O N Smoking is prohibited in all venues. Food and beverage are not permitted in the audience seating area. No photography or recording of any kind is permitted.

Pilgrim Congregational Church 460 Lake Street, Oak Park Restrooms: Off the lobby, in the southeast corner of the building. accessible restroom in south hallway near the chapel. Additional restrooms on the lower level.

Nichols Concert Hall Music Institute of Chicago 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston Restrooms and drinking fountain: On lower level; take stairs or elevator from lobby.

Wentz Concert Hall 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville Restrooms and drinking fountain: in the main lobby. Â Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts 915 East 60th St., Chicago Restrooms and drinking fountain: Located on the Lower Level, via the Lower Gidwitz Lobby.

New CD Release!

Bound for Glory!

New Settings of African-American Spirituals Our debut on the Gothic Records label presents new settings of powerful melodies by a host of brilliant and innovative composers. This moving and joyous collection of spirituals includes commissioned works by Rollo Dilworth, Joseph Jennings, and our own Jonathan Miller, in addition to arrangements by Paul Crabtree, Robert Harris, Gwyneth Walker, Paul Carey, and many others. Ten works receive their world premiere recordings on this exciting new release.

Available in the lobby for $16 or online at chicagoacappella.org 4

Chicago a cappella

PROGR A M Woke Up This Morning............................................................................................................................Trad.

Until I Found the Lord...................................................................................................arr. André Thomas Precious Lord................................................................................................................... Thomas A. Dorsey He is Marvelous............................................................................................................ Rosephayne Powell Am I A Soldier of the Cross..........................Dr. Watts, arr. Joseph Jennings, ed. Jonathan Miller I Want to Walk and Talk with Jesus....................................................................................Robert Mayes The Storm is Passing Over...................................................................... Tindley, arr. Barbara W. Baker Perfect Praise....................................Walt Whitman/Brenda Joyce Moore, arr. Nolan Williams, Jr. Didn’t It Rain......................................................................arr. and additional lyrics by Rollo Dilworth INTERMISSION Selections from guest ensembles: Apr. 11: Oak Park and River Forest High School Gospel Choir Apr. 12: Faith Temple Church of God in Christ Youth Choir Apr. 13: DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church Gospel Choir Apr. 19: Triedstone Full Gospel Baptist Church “Youth in Action” Choir Hallelujah! I’m Going to Praise His Name!................................................................. Robert L. Morris The Strife is O’er...................................G.P. da Palestrina, adapt. And arr. William H. Monk, 1861; text from Symphonia Sirenum, Cologne, 1695; tr. Francis Pott, 1861

Goodbye, World, Goodbye...............Mosie Lister, arr. Steve Mauldin, adapted by Joseph Linn No Rocks a-Cryin’................................................................................................................... Rollo Dilworth Beams of Heaven....................................................................................Tindley, arr. Robert Wooten, Jr. I Can Go To God In Prayer....................................................................................................Calvin Bridges combined ensembles

The Birth of Gospel

5

F R O M T H E A R T I S T I C D I R E C TO R I have wanted to have Chicago a cappella tell this story for a long time.

As many of you know, I sometimes get great concert ideas from reading books. Back in the late 1990s, when I lived in Oak Park, I read two books that grabbed my attention: Land of Hope by James Grossman and The Rise of the Gospel Blues by Michael Harris. The first is a masterful history of the Great Migration of African-Americans from the rural South to the urban North. The second is a work of music history that brilliantly talks about the tensions (of musical taste, texts, and social class) in Chicago churches during the Great Migration—tensions that Thomas A. Dorsey, Charles Tindley, and others finessed masterfully. I remember devouring chapter after chapter of both books. Lightbulbs went off in my head repeatedly, as I saw connections of people and ideas and history that I’d never seen before. I am partway through Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns at present, which adds a personal, narrative element to the history of these same years.

Gospel music is an urban art form, generally performed with piano, which is a little bit unusual for a group that calls itself Chicago a cappella. Nevertheless, for the fifteen years during which I’ve nurtured the idea of a “Birth of Gospel” program, it has always seemed like a great idea. The story is so good, the music is so vibrant, and the combination has been so essential to our nation’s musical and cultural heritage.

Part of the gestation period for “Birth of Gospel” has been to find the right leader for this repertoire. What has made this concert not just possible but successful beyond my initial dreams is the rich and fruitful collaboration that we’ve had with Dr. Rollo Dilworth. In addition to being a truly world-class scholar and performer, Rollo is personally connected to many of the people whose music we are presenting today. As Rollo has mentioned to me on several occasions, the story of gospel music is in many ways his own story, for gospel music has shaped his own musical development in profound and lasting ways.

The singers and I would like to thank Rollo for his tremendous contributions through our planning and rehearsal process. We have all deepened and grown in knowledge and appreciation of this superb art form as a result. Now it’s your turn. Thanks for being here.

—Jonathan Miller Founder and Artistic Director

Keep track of Chicago a cappella with your favorite social media!

“Like” us on Facebook at Chicago a cappella

6

Chicago a cappella

Follow us on Twitter at chi_acappella

F R O M T H E G U E S T M U S I C D I R E C TO R Welcome to The Birth of Gospel.

It is my hope that this program will present to audiences a sample of the kinds of songs and singing traditions that have helped to shape and define the gospel sound. While gospel music today is celebrated and embraced by people all over the world, many of the elements that make up gospel have their roots in the African American culture.

From the tribal ceremonial songs and rhythmic riffs of the African continent to the field hollers, plantation songs, folk melodies, spirituals, blues and hymn singing traditions of America, the lifestyles and life circumstances of an African American people were combined to develop a musical framework for what has become known to the world as GOSPEL. —Rollo Dilworth Guest Music Director N O T E S O N T H E M U S I C B Y R O L L O D I LWO R T H Woke Up This Morning This spiritual served as a symbol of the unwavering faith of the slave. This particular song is “testifying” in design, for it outlines the personal story and religious convictions of a people who kept the Lord on their minds and in their hearts, despite the oppression they were experiencing. Woke Up This Mornin’ is one of a few well-known African American spirituals that received a resurgence as it “crossed over” into the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s an 1960’s. As part of a continued struggle for equality and justice, many people who participated in this historic movement—representing diverse races, cultures, and religious backgrounds—sang Woke Up This Mornin’ as an anthem of resistance to the segregation laws that dominated the social and political landscape of the southern United States.

Until I Found the Lord Although many of the African slaves brought to this country were known to be spiritual (perhaps polytheistic in orientation), it is the Christian faith that permeated African American culture as the evangelists delivered biblical narratives and sermons on the plantations. Both slave owners and members of the clergy would often use religion as a means of keeping the slaves submissive to God and to their masters. The slaves diligently searched for their own personal salvation, for they knew they would ultimately be free when God called them to Heaven. While there are no direct biblical references for this spiritual, the verse “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessolonians 5:17) comes to mind as the text “I prayed and I prayed, I prayed all night long” is sung. As with most spirituals, there is the possibility of coded language, as well. In this case, the certain verses of the text could possibly point to a planned escape. Given that the concept of “finding the Lord” meant eternal freedom, it is easy to imaging the slave’s willingness to “walk and walk” until one “finds the Lord.”

The Birth of Gospel

7

NOTES ON THE MUSIC

c o n t.

This spiritual was popularized during the 40’s and 50’s by gospel quartet groups, in particular the Deep South Boys and the Christianaires. This arrangement by André J. Thomas, has quickly become a staple in the choral repertory. Dr. Thomas is currently Director of Choral Activities at The Florida State University. He has composed and arranged numerous pieces, many of which reflect African American singing traditions.

For the record: Andre Thomas’s “Go Down in the Valley and Pray” appears on our CD Bound For Glory!

Precious Lord Precious Lord, Take My Hand is considered by many scholars as the seminal piece that propelled the development of gospel music. Thomas A. Dorsey started his musical career as a blues musician, working under the stage name “Georgia Tom.” It was during his time on the religious circuit that he learned of the tragic loss of his wife and unborn child.

In the midst of this pain and grief he recalls a voice giving him the words to this song.

Precious Lord, Take My Hand is has been translated and published in hymnals around the world.

He is Marvelous He is Marvelous is a gospel-style piece that is carefully constructed using contrapuntal techniques. The piece opens and closes using individually introduced vocal lines that are melodically independent yet harmonically interdependent. As each vocal line is layered into the texture, the dramatic intensity of the piece increases. Unlike the contrapuntal writing of Western European traditions, gospel-style counterpoint in the African American tradition does not require one musical line to move into the background as the introduction of a new musical line comes to the fore. As with communal music making practices on the African continent where all contributions to the product are given equal weight and value, so it is with the vocal counterpoint in the African American gospel tradition.

Rosephanye Dunn Powell (b. 1962) is Professor of Voice at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. She has composed numerous choral octavos as well as extended works for choral ensembles of various vocal configurations.

For the record: Rosephanye Powell’s “Who is the baby?” appears on our CD Christmas a cappella.

Am I A Soldier of the Cross Just as African American slaves in this country continued to deepen their spiritual roots in the Christian tradition, so did their exposure to the texts and melodies of European hymnody. In particular, the hymn texts of Isaac Watts (1647-1748) were commonly sung. African Americans often created their own melodies to these texts in what was considered a “lining out” fashion. Because Isaac Watts was a respected preacher, he became known in the African American community as “Dr. Watts,” which in turn became the default name for the lining out process itself. This process involved each line of the hymn being sung in a call and response fashion. The leader or caller delivers each line in a spoken or quasi-recitative fashion and the congregation responds by singing the same 8

Chicago a cappella

, IL

Join us at for a fun-filled evening of music and revelry amid the antique wonderland

cago a Cappella of Chicago’s Salvage One. The ensemble will perform swinging tunes by Basie and NG! INVITATION Ellington, as Fold to: 6.875” x 5” 4/Cguests enjoy a light dinner buffet, wine, and dessert as well as an exciting OUTSIDE raffle and silent auction. All proceeds support Chicago a cappella’s educational and

artistic programs. Don’t miss this unforgettable event!

Special Guest Emcee: Terri Hemmert

Tribute Award: Anima-Young Singers of Greater Chicago with special recognition to Emily Ellsworth, Artistic Director

Friend of the Year: Bill Flowers member of Chicago a cappella’s Board of Directors

Thursday, May 15, 2014, 6:45 pm Salvage One

Tickets and Information: www.chicagoacappella.org or 773-281-7820 The Birth of Gospel

9

NOTES ON THE MUSIC

c o n t.

text in a slow, emotional and elongated fashion, often characterized by hums, moans, pitch bends and wails. All of these techniques and stylistic features are reminiscent of ceremonial singing practices on the African continent.

The arranger of this piece, Joseph Jennings, joined the San Francisco based all-male a cappella group Chanticleer in 1983 as a countertenor. He soon assumed the role of Music Director for the ensemble and remained with the group until retirement in 2009. Under Jennings’ leadership the ensemble recorded 25 albums and earned 3 Grammy awards.

Am I A Soldier of the Cross appears on the album Where the Sun Will Never Go Down.

I Want to Walk and Talk with Jesus This piece was composed by Robert Mayes (1942-1992). He was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and studied piano with A.B. Windom. After a stint in the United States Army, Mayes moved to Chicago and continued his career playing in local clubs with artists such as Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. He also served as music director for Delois Barrett Campbell and the Barrett Sisters, for whom he wrote I Want to Walk and Talk with Jesus. Mayes also served as Minister of Music for Christ Universal Temple until his death in March 1992.

I Want to Walk and Talk with Jesus became a signature piece for the Barrett Sisters. The song utilizes a standard 12-bar blues chord progression. The Barrett Sisters, comprised of Delois Barrett Campbell (mezzo-soprano and lead singer), Rodessa Barrett Porter (soprano) and Billie Barrett GreenBey (alto), were an iconic Chicago-based gospel group that flourished for more than 5 decades. They are featured singers in the award winning documentary film on the history of gospel music, “Say Amen, Somebody.”

The Storm is Passing Over Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933) was widely considered to be a principal architect of the African American gospel tradition. Born in Berlin, Maryland, Tindley married at age 17 and moved to Philadelphia. He worked as a sexton at the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church. It was in 1885 that he passed the examination for ministry after attending night school for several years. As an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, he served as pastor for several churches on the east coast before returning to Philadelphia in 1902 to lead the very same church that had employed him as a sexton. It was during these years in Philadelphia that he composed the majority of his gospel hymns. Because he could not read or write music, Tindley was dependent upon transcribers and arrangers to put his music on paper. Almost 50 of Tindley’s gospel hymns (many of which he sang during his sermons) were published. Although these hymns were similar in structure to that of European hymnody, scholar Bernice Johnson Reagon points to three elements that made Tindley’s gospel hymnody distinctive: “In the first place, he concentrated on texts that gave attention to such important concerns of Black Christians as worldly sorrows, blessing, and woes, as well as the joys of the afterlife. Second, he placed many of his melodies in the beloved pentatonic scale and left a certain amount of space in his melodic line and harmonic scale for interpolation of the so-called blue thirds and sevenths. He also allows space for the inevitable improvisation of text, melody, harmony and rhythm, so characteristic of Black American folk and popular music” (Reagon, p. 57).

10

Chicago a cappella

NOTES ON THE MUSIC

c o n t.

Such distinguishing features of Tindley’s compositions would become the blueprint for the gospel songwriters that followed. The Storm is Passing Over was first published in 1905, and is widely sung by church, school, community and professional choirs around the world today.

Perfect Praise Perfect Praise, also know as “Oh Lord, How Excellent,” is based upon Psalm 8. The piece was penned by composer Brenda Joyce Moore, who has written for a number of artists and choirs, particularly those in the Chicago area. Perfect Praise is a gospel-style piece with characteristics of a ballad (because of its slow moving tempo and harmonic rhythm) and an anthem (because of its majestic homophonic and contrapuntal textures). This piece was originally performed and recorded in 1990 by Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago on the album “This is the Day.” Chicago gospel soprano Lacresia Campbell was the featured soloist.

Didn’t it Rain Didn’t It Rain is based on the traditional African American spiritual that has its origins in the Old Testament and is narrative in its design. It dramatically depicts the story of the Noah and the flood. After the baritone soloist introduces the chorus of the spiritual, the SATB choir responds with a harmonized version. In the 1950’s, a gospel style arrangement of Didn’t it Rain” was developed by Roberta Martin and popularized by Chicago singer Mahalia Jackson.

For the record: Rollo Dilworth’s “Roll, Jordan, Roll!” and “Sistah Mary” appear on our CD Bound For Glory!

INTERMISSION Suggestions for intermission • Subscribe to our 2014-15 season and get DOUBLE GUEST VOUCHERS. Offer is only valid today, so sign up in the lobby before you leave!

• Buy raffle tickets for your chance to win $1000 in cash!

Raffle tickets are $10 (3 for $25) and available in the lobby.

• Make your reservation for our benefit bash, Swing! The event is May 15 at the fabulous Salvage One venue and features the swinging tunes of Basie and Ellington. Information and reservations available in the lobby and on our website.

The Birth of Gospel

11

NOTES ON THE MUSIC

c o n t.

SWING!

An a cappella evening featuring music of Basie and Ellington

Raffle Grand Prize: $1000 in cash!

Raffle tickets are only $10 or three for $25.

The winner will be drawn at our Swing! Benefit on May 15; winner need not be present to win.

Tickets are available in the lobby or at www.chicagoacappella.org

Hallelujah! I’m Going to Praise His Name This is a traditional gospel song with exact origins unknown. Like the spiritual, this is a song that has been passed down through African American Baptist and Pentecostal Churches for many years. This tune was recorded under the title “I Don’t’ Care What the World May Do” by Professor Alex Bradford in 1958. The upbeat gospel praise song bears a text that is testifying in design.

Chicago-born composer, conductor, pianist/organist and educator Robert L. Morris has directed choral programs at Macalester College, Hampton University, and Winston-Salem State University. He is founding artistic director of the Leigh Morris Chorale, a community chorus based in the Twin Cities whose primary mission is to educate audiences about African American classical and written choral music traditions.

For the record: Robert L. Morris’s “Save Me, Lord!” appears on our CD Bound for Glory! and “Glory to the Newborn King” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee” on our CD Holidays a cappella Live.

The Strife is O’er This European hymn is based on a tune that goes all the way back to Renaissance era composer Giovanni Palestrina (1525-1594). As with many European hymns, this piece can be found in hymnals compiled for African American congregations, including the African American Heritage Hymnal. Many traditional European hymns—although written in their original forms—were reinterpreted by African American congregations with stylistic elements such as swing rhythms, swells and percussive style vocals.

Goodbye, World, Goodbye This piece was composed by gospel singer and songwriter Thomas Mosie Lister (b. 1921).

Lister’s studies in music began in 1939 at the Vaughn School of Music in Tennessee. As a singer, he performed with the Sunny South Quartet and later as the original baritone for the Statesmen. After leaving the Statesmen as a singer, he remained as a writer for the group and formed his own publishing company in 1953. He also wrote choral music for the Lillenas Publishing Company, which includes the song Goodbye, World, Goodbye.

It was first published in 1955, and it many ways it typifies the Southern Gospel quartet 12

Chicago a cappella

NOTES ON THE MUSIC

c o n t.

style. Mosie Lister was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1976, and into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

No Rocks a-Cryin’ Based on Psalm 47, No Rocks A-Cryin’ is an original work that is richly rooted in the contemporary African American gospel tradition. The title of the piece takes its cue from the 19th chapter of Luke when Jesus rides down from the Mount of Olives on a colt and the crowd begins to praise Him. When the Pharisees ask Jesus to rebuke His disciples for their behavior, He responds, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, these stones would immediately cry out.” The opening section of the piece presents unison lines and close parallel harmonies in heavily syncopated patterns. The middle section transitions from C major to A minor, and features a contrapuntal treatment of a single melodic theme that is reminiscent of the opening unison statement of the piece. This anthemlike contrapuntal section concludes with a statement in the parallel major key of A in which the bass line presents the melodic theme in augmented form. The special chorus, punctuating the text “No, no, no, no rocks a cryin’,” brings the piece to a dramatic close with bold, syncopated rhythms along with harmonic and textural repetitions.

For the record: Rollo Dilworth’s “Roll, Jordan, Roll!” and “Sistah Mary” appear on our CD Bound For Glory!

Beams of Heaven Written by Charles Albert Tindley, Beams of Heaven was published in 1905. Later arranged by Robert “Gene” Wooten, Sr. (1930-2008), a Chicago musician, educator and administrator, Beams of Heaven remains an oft-performed gospel hymn in the African American church. In 1949, Wooten Sr. founded the Wooten Choral Ensemble, which was based at the church where he served as Minister of Music (Beth Eden Baptist Church). He remained as director in both capacities for 50 years. Today, the Wooten Choral Ensemble continues to flourish under the direction of the senior Wooten’s son, Robert “Bobby” Wooten, Jr. I Can Go to God in Prayer I Can Go to God is Prayer was written by Calvin Bridges, a Chicago composer, director and ordained minister. From 1979-1999, he served as Associate Minister of Music at the Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church. In 2000 he was ordained as an Elder in the Churches of God, and he currently holds membership at Apostolic Faith Church. Reverend Bridges continues to facilitate gospel music ministry and workshops around the world. He is a Grammy nominated artist and is a two-time recipient of the Stellar Award. I Can Go to God in Prayer is probably the most well known composition in the catalog of Calvin Bridges. It became a signature selection for famed Chicago gospel singer Albertina Walker. In terms of structural design, this piece is built on call and response patterns that are exchanged between soloist and choir. The verses are designed in the form of call and response “completion,” in which the choir finishes the statements of the soloist. In he chorus section of the piece the soloists words “I can call Him, when I need Him” are repeated by the choir using a repeated, syncopated rhythm pattern. The special chorus features cosigning responses from the chorus on the text “Yes He can. Yes, He can. Yes, He can. Oh, yes he can!”

The Birth of Gospel

13

T H A N K YO U Chris Baer Tom Bracy, Brian O’Malley, Merit School of Music Enid Frandzel Ken Hannah, North Central College Bill Hoban Joan Hutchinson and Joycelin Fowler, Pilgrim Congregational Church Bill Michel and Greg Redenius, Logan Center for the Arts Jim Parks Fiona Queen and Jared Scott, Music Institute of Chicago Norbert Shimkus Carolyn Stoner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Christyl Uhan, The Homestead Hotel Thanks also to The Saints, Volunteers for the Performing Arts, for providing our house staff. For information visit www.saintschicago.org or call 773-529-5510.

“Merit School of Music is one of my favorite places on Earth.

I’ve seen its work through visiting there, but also through many of their graduates. What it does is to not let talent escape, because it has the broadest net. At its most lofty level, to its most basic response to the needs of a community, it is such an incredible organization.”

—Yo-Yo Ma MErIt NAtIoNAL AdvISorY BoArd MEMBEr

visit www.meritmusic.org to find out how you can make a difference in the lives of Merit students.

Joy Faith Knapp Music Center 38 South Peoria Street Chicago, IL 60607

www.meritmusic.org 14

Chicago a cappella

C H I C AG O A C A P P E L L A A R T I S T R O S T E R 2 013 -14 Jonathan Miller....................................................................................................................Artistic Director Anne Heider.................................................................................... Music Director, Holidays a cappella Rollo Dilworth................................................................................. Music Director, The Birth of Gospel Megan Bell.......................................................................................................................soprano (Holidays) Micah Dingler...................................................................................................................... tenor (Holidays) Ace Gangoso....................................................................................................tenor (Migrations; Gospel) Matt Greenberg.............................................................................................. bass (Best of CAC; Gospel) Elizabeth Grizzell.....................................................................................................mezzo (entire season) Garrett Johannsen.................................................................................... tenor (Best of CAC; Holidays) Kathryn Kamp.................................................................................. soprano (Best of CAC; Migrations) Alexia Kruger...................................................................................................soprano (Holidays; Gospel) Joe Labozetta.........................................................................bass (Best of CAC; Holidays; Migrations) Trevor Mitchell........................................................................tenor (Best of CAC; Migrations; Gospel) Cari Plachy.......................................................................................... soprano (Best of CAC; Migrations) Emily Price................................................................................... mezzo (Holidays; Migrations; Gospel) Margaret Quinnette......................................................................................soprano (Holidays; Gospel) Benjamin Rivera...........................................................................................................bass (entire season) Michael Roemer.....................................................................baritone (Holidays; Migrations; Gospel) Susan Schober............................................................................................................. mezzo (Best of CAC)

The Birth of Gospel

15

BIOGR APHIES Jonathan Miller, Founder and Artistic Director Since founding Chicago a cappella in 1993, Jonathan Miller has guided the ensemble through hundreds of performances, nine commercial CD releases, and thirty choral-music demo CDs. His international accolades include the 2008 Louis Botto Award from Chorus America and the 2013 Perelmuter Award from KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation in Chicago. He was fortunate to be exposed at an early age to a wide range of music by a remarkable group of musical mentors, including Christopher Moore, Lena McLin, Max Janowski, Joseph Brewer, Howard Mayer Brown, Richard Proulx, John Nygro, and Anne Heider. He was a founding member of His Majestie’s Clerkes (now Bella Voce) and for ten years was bass soloist with the Harwood Early Music Ensemble. Eager to learn research tools for repertoire, Jonathan pursued musicology, earning his doctorate at UNC-Chapel Hill. Since returning to the Chicago area, Jonathan has expanded his role as a conductor and composer. He has led the volunteer choir at Unity Temple and Heritage Chorale in Oak Park and has served several other choirs as clinician and coach.

He has written more than seventy choral works in a variety of genres and languages; his music has been sung at venues including St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and the Pentagon, and his mashup Jingle Bells Hallelujah Chorus is viewable on YouTube.

Since 1998, Jonathan has taken a growing leadership role in Chicago-area Jewish music, leading the high-holiday choir and occasional Kabbalat Shabbat services at Congregation Rodfei Zedek in Hyde Park, where he now serves as high-holiday cantor.

He is principal guest conductor of Kol Zimrah, the Jewish Community Chorus of Metro Chicago, has been a faculty member at the North American Jewish Choral Festival, and holds as a great honor his role as publisher of the Janowski catalogue.

Jonathan enjoys the blessings of family and neighbors in the woods of Downers Grove.

16

Chicago a cappella

Rollo Dilworth, Music Director Dr. Rollo Dilworth is Associate Professor of Choral Music Education and Chair of the Music Education Department at Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to his appointment at Temple, Dilworth served as Director of Choral Activities and Music Education at North Park University in Chicago for 13 years. Dilworth holds degrees from Case Western Reserve University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Northwestern University. Dilworth has written and/or arranged over 150 choral works that are currently in print, including two works commissioned by Chicago a cappella. His choral compositions are a part of the Henry Leck Creating Artistry Choral Series with Hal Leonard Corporation and Colla Voce Music Company. He has recently published pieces with the Santa Barbara Music Publishing

BIOGR APHIES

c o n t.

Company as part of the Mary Alice Stollak Choral Series. Dilworth is a contributing author for the Essential Elements for Choir and the Experiencing Choral Music textbook series, both published by the Hal Leonard Corporation/Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Publications, and for Music Express! Teachers Magazine. He authored a book of choral warm-ups for elementary and secondary choral ensembles entitled Choir Builders: Fundamental Vocal Techniques for General and Classroom Use. He frequently serves as a guest conductor and/or clinician for honors, festival and all-state choirs throughout the United States and abroad. Dilworth is an active member of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM), the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and Chorus America. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and currently serves on the Pennsylvania ACDA State board as Director of Student and Youth Activities.

Ace Gangoso, tenor Tenor Ace Gangoso is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied Music Education at the University of Central Arkansas and later earned his M.M. in Voice Performance from Northwestern University. In addition to Chicago a cappella, he sings with several local ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Schola Cantorum Cathedralis at Holy Name Cathedral. He also appears as a soloist on recordings with the Chicago Galant Masters Project. Aside from singing, his other musical passions include conducting, teaching, and playing piano. He has a background in gospel music, having accompanied and directed church choirs and ensembles in his hometown and in the Chicago area.

Matt Greenberg, bass Matt Greenberg has appeared frequently on Chicago’s concert and theater stages, singing everything from Bach to Broadway. His solo appearances include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Requiem, and an evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Matt is a longtime member of the Grant Park Chorus and sang for over 20 years with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, where he made over a dozen solo or small ensemble appearances. A founding member of Chicago a cappella, he has also performed with Music of the Baroque, William Ferris Chorale, and the Harwood Early Music Ensemble. Matt’s work in musical theater includes the Jeff-award winning Sylvia’s Real Good Advice, Hot Mikado, and appearances at Light Opera Works and Wisdom Bridge.

He has also appeared with the pop quintet Table For Five. Combining his performing with a career in arts administration, Matt is Chicago a cappella’s Executive Director.

Elizabeth Grizzell, mezzo Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Grizzell has performed with groups both in Chicago and abroad. She has appeared as soloist with the Tunbridge Wells Opera, the Marlow Choral Society, and the Wooburn Singers of England. As a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, she has recorded the role of Apprentice with the late Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger. Betsy is also a member of the Grant Park Chorus, and records regularly as a soloist for GIA Publications. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree with a vocal emphasis from DePaul University.This will be Betsy’s 13th season with Chicago a cappella. She has previously programmed the ensemble’s 2012 All About the Women concert and 2009 The Birds and the Bees concert. Of special note is her Betsy’s MusiKids program, a musical education experience designed for children The Birth of Gospel

17

BIOGR APHIES

c o n t.

ages 16 months to 9 years old. Her studio in Naperville introduces more than 100 children each year to the fun and beauty of music. Find her on Facebook at “Betsy’s MusiKids”, or at www.grizzell.com.

Alexia Kruger, soprano Alexia Kruger enjoys performing a wide variety of music from the stage to the recital hall. A member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Grant Park Chorus, Alexia has also been a soloist with such groups as the Chicago Chamber Orchestra (J.S. Bach’s Cantata 51), Chicago Sinfonietta at the Shedd and at Joffrey, Mantra Blue Free Orchestra, the Valparaiso University Symphony Orchestra (R. Strauss Beim Schlafengehen and Im Abendrot), and the University of Illinois Percussion Ensemble (Stravinsky’s Les Noces). She loves art song as well and has given recitals at such venues as the Chicago Cultural Center, Fourth Presbyterian Church, and several locations with VOX 3. Past roles have included Susanna and Contessa dAlmaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Giulietta (Les Contes dHoffmann), the title role in Suor Angelica, Lola (Gallantry), and Eve (Children of Eden). She is very excited to sing with Chicago a cappella this season!

Trevor Mitchell, tenor Best known for his work in oratorio and early music, Trevor Mitchell sings a wide range of classical music.

Recently a critic wrote, ‘Simply the most uniquely beautiful and easily produced tenor instrument most people will ever hear.’

The past season, audiences heard Mr. Mitchell in Bach’s B-Minor Mass and Cantata # 214, Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten, Bach’s St. Matthew and St. John Passion, Telemann’s Cantata # 161, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and recitals. Scheduled works this season include Bach’s Magnificat, Actus Tragicus, Ein feste Burg, Christmas Oratorio and B-Minor Mass, Telemann’s Cantata # 161, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, a 18

Chicago a cappella

recording of some Mozart’s Coronation Mass masses as well as recitals. This fall Mr. Mitchell will tour 5 cities in Italy as tenor soloist with a concluding performance at the Vatican City. Known for his superb musicianship and interpretive skills, Mr. Mitchell, though concentrated in early music, is equally at ease in other musical periods. A native of Chicago, Mr. Mitchell’s singing engagements, both as a soloist and an ensemble member, have taken him virtually all over the U.S. as well as Italy, England, Austria, Ukraine and other places in Europe. Mr. Mitchell is a regular soloist at St. John Cantius in Chicago, a member of the professional 9-voice singing ensemble, Chicago a cappella and divides his time between it and solo engagements.

Emily Price, mezzo Mezzo-soprano Emily Price is a graduate of Northwestern University and enjoys performing in opera, choral and musical theater productions. In Chicago she sings with the Grant Park Chorus, Music of the Baroque and Lyric Opera. Internationally, she has performed in over 35 countries as a soloist with the Voices of Baha International Choir in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus, and the National Theaters of Spain, Catalonia, and India. She has also performed with the Czech National Symphony, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, and the Warsaw Philharmonic. Favorite theater productions include the premiere of RESPECT! A Musical Journey of Women (Cuillo Center/CCPA) and Rona in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drury Lane Watertower). She can be heard on a number of recordings, including The Voices of Baha at Carnegie Hall, RESPECT! The Original Cast Album, and a solo album to be released entitled Songs of the Nightingale with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra.

BIOGR APHIES

c o n t.

Margaret Quinnette, soprano Margaret Quinnette received her Bachelor’s Degree in Voice Performance from the University of WisconsinMadison, and has enjoyed a wide variety of performing experiences. As a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Margaret has been a soloist for Verdi Te Deum, a cover soloist for Bach B Minor Mass, and recently had the honor of singing on the soundtrack for the highly acclaimed movie, Lincoln.

Additionally, Margaret has performed Mason Bates’ Sirens on the CSO MusicNOW series. Favorite solo appearances in oratorio include Handel (Messiah), Mozart (Requiem and Coronation Mass), Faure’ (Requiem), Haydn (Lord Nelson Mass), Vivaldi (Gloria), and Rutter (Gloria). Other performing highlights include The Voices of Liberty at EPCOT Center, Orlando Opera Company, the Florida Symphony, and current work with the Grant Park Symphony Chorus.When not performing, Margaret can be found teaching voice, and being grateful for a life filled with music!

Benjamin Rivera, bass Benjamin Rivera is chorus director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and artistic director of Cantate, a Chicagobased chamber choir performing music from all genres and periods. He is also Cantor (Music Director) at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Evanston. He has prepared and conducted choruses at all levels in repertoire from gospel, pop, and folk to sacred polyphony, choral/orchestral masterworks, and contemporary pieces. In his seventeenth season as a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, including ten seasons as bass section leader, Benjamin also sings professionally with the Grant Park Chorus and many other ensembles. He is a frequent soloist, most often in sacred and concert works. He has sung across the U.S.,

and can be heard on numerous recordings.

He has been on the faculty of several universities, directing choirs and teaching voice, diction, music theory, and history. In addition, he has adjudicated many competitions (solo and ensemble), and he recently presented at the Iowa Choral Directors Association summer conference.

Especially adept with languages, Benjamin frequently coaches German and Spanish, among several others. He holds degrees in voice and music theory from North Park University and Roosevelt University, respectively, and is writing his dissertation for the doctorate in choral conducting from Northwestern University.

Michael Roemer, baritone Michael Roemer, hailing from Brodhead, WI, earned his degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (MM) and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (BM). Currently residing near Chicago, Michael sang with the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s chorus in Parsifal and is a excited to be a new artist with Chicago a cappella. Michael is a teaching artist with Chicago Opera Theater for Teens at Solorio Academy, leading music direction for teens in opera, operetta, and musical theater. Michael played Bill Bobstay in Light Opera Works’ HMS Pinafore, and he is a part of Chicago Opera Playhouse’s production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, playing piano and performing the role of the father. Michael is a past Metropolitan Opera National Council Encouragement Award winner, and has also performed with the UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra as one of the 2012 UW-Madison Concerto Competition winners. While studying in Madison, Michael has played leading roles in Don Giovanni, La Bohème, and The Consul, and was a summer Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice in 2011.

Michael has also frequented La Musica Lirica, a young artist program based in Novafeltria, Italy, performing under the baton of Maestro Joseph Rescigno in productions of La Bohème and Falstaff.

The Birth of Gospel

19

Chicago a cappella’s 2014-2015 Season Subscribe today and get 4 tickets to use in any combination through the season.

Two flexible subscription packages to choose from:

Flex-Subscription

· 4 flexible tickets with unlimited exchanges · Advance program notes

Premier Flex-Subscription

· 4 flexible tickets with unlimited exchanges · Advance program notes · Free guest voucher – plus double voucher offer valid today only! · Exclusive event invitations

What you get: · Unlimited free exchange privileges with simple phone call or online form. · Advance program notes Receive our acclaimed program notes in advance by e-mail. · Free guest voucher – Premier Flex-Subscription only Bring a friend for free with one guest voucher ticket for every Premier FlexSubscription purchased. Special offer: today only, get two free guest vouchers when you subscribe at the Premier Flex level! · Exclusive event invitations – Premier Flex-Subscription only Invitations to behind-the-scenes events with our singers and directors and other exclusive events.

FALL Global Transcendence: World Sacred Harmony and Chant

John William Trotter, Principal Guest Music Director Hear where time stops around the world, as we explore mystical, harmonically stunning, and contemplative sacred vocal traditions. From Jerusalem to Athens, Tbilisi to Canada, Rome to Mumbai, be awed by music of Jewish, Hindu, Native American, and other traditions. Inspiring music

by Rachmaninoff, Purcell, and Tallis will connect West to East, while our unusual and inventive combinations of varied liturgical threads will create a sonic quilt like no other.

DECEMBER Holidays a cappella

Paul Nicholson, Guest Music Director Enjoy a perfect mix of familiar holiday tunes, Renaissance carols, Chanukah songs, Christmas spirituals, and contemporary classics. Our most enjoyable holiday concert ever!

WINTER A Cappella En Español

John William Trotter, Principal Guest Music Director This colorful tapestry of music from the Spanish-speaking world will feature fresh sounds and exciting rhythms from South America, Spain, the Caribbean, and a special focus on Mexico.

Dancers from the acclaimed Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater will bring a dazzling visual embellishment to this not-to-be-missed event.

SPRING Beatlemania

Paul Langford, Guest Music Director The songs of the Fab Four are now part of our great treasury of popular music, and we’ll bring a dynamic a cappella take to these timeless classics. Celebrate the 75th birth year of John Lennon with this irresistible program of Beatles favorites.

Don’t delay – subscribe today in the lobby.

Visit online at www.chicagoacappella.org or call (773) 281-7820.

20

Chicago a cappella

Calling all High School Singers!

Want to be a part of Chicago a cappella?

Join our High School Internship Program!

This innovative and highly successful program, now entering its third year, gives Chicago-area high school singers unprecedented access to top-level professional musicians, directors and arts administrators in a broad range of settings. Chicago a cappella High School Interns gain valuable experience and skills to help further their musical ambitions, including how to rehearse collaboratively, how to sing at a high level in a small, a cappella ensemble, and how such activities are supported behind the scenes by a nonprofit organization.

Auditions for the 2014-15 Chicago a cappella High School Internship Program will be held on May 10th from 2-5pm at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago. For more information, contact Susan Schober at sschober@chicagoacappella.org or visit www.chicagoacappella.org to download our Information and Application packet.

Have you been receiving emails from us lately?

Visit us in the lobby to update our records with your current email address today.

Stay up to date with the latest from Chicago a cappella, including special promotions and behind-the-scenes exclusives!

Chicago a cappella will not share your phone or email with any third party.

The Birth of Gospel

21

DONORS We offer our deep gratitude to our contributors who made gifts and pledges to Chicago a cappella between January 1, 2013 and March 19, 2014. We regret that we are unable to list the many thoughtful contributors who made gifts under $50. If this list contains an error, please accept our apologies and kindly let us know so that we may correct it.

INSTITUTIONAL CONTRIBUTORS FOUNDATION SUPPORTERS Paul M. Angell Family Foundation Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s International Connections Fund Klaff Family Foundation The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation The Pauls Foundation Richard H. Driehaus Foundation

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS Illinois Arts Council Agency City of Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Oak Park Area Arts Council MEDIA SPONSORS 98.7 WFMT Chicago Jewish News Chicago Maroon JUF News Naperville Sun

CORPORATE SUPPORT, MATCHING GIFTS, AND OTHER SUPPORT AV Chicago Bank of America First Bank and Trust Evanston Homestead Hotel House Red Vinoteca Hyde Park Bank JP Morgan Chase Foundation Norbert Shimkus Design North Shore Community Bank Press America

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS UNDERWRITER ($10,000 or more) Special gift in memory of Florine M. Tippett, by her Daughter, Joyce Tippett Grenis Hyslop Shannon Foundation ARCHANGEL ($2,500 or more) Joyce Grenis and Michael Koen Ann Hicks and Lawrence Hamilton Howard and Jane Hush Margaret and Gary Kachadurian/ Five K. Family Fund at The Chicago Community Trust Murray Kopelow and Cathy Bachman David and Carole Perlman Maria Suarez ANGEL ($1,000 or more) Gary Belkin and Ed Tuder Alex and Rosemary Cudzewicz Claudia and Timothy Divis Michelle and Brian Eppley Bill and Jeanetta Flowers Frank G. and Gertrude Dunlop Fund Helen Gagel Terri Hemmert Deb and Bill Hoban Bob and Fleury Linn Dietra and Tony Millard Mary Miller Alice and David Osberg Steve and Priscilla Shaw Bette Sikes and Joan Pederson 22

Chicago a cappella

BENEFACTOR ($500 or more) Bonnie Benson Marguerite Bloch Ann and Roger Cole Jim and Ellen Dalton Marina Gilman Matt Greenberg and Chris Baer Don and Joanna Gwinn Hank and Becky Hartman Ann Hewitt Dick Hewitt Tom and Margaret Huyck Douglas and Christine Kelner Leslie Lauderdale Ronna Lerner in recognition of educational outreach programs Dan and Cari Levin Edward Levin and Margot Aronson in honor of Dan and Cari Levin Gaye Matravers John and Bozena McLees Nora Bergman Fund G. Scott Miller and Ron Mijewski James and Kimberly Norman Ken Novak Dale and Donna Prest Doris Roskin Carolyn Sacksteder Benjamin H. and Marianne Schapiro Susan and Jason Schober Jennifer and Warren Schultz John and Eileen Sterling Ann Stevens Frank Villella Gary and Beth Wainer Duain Wolfe

SPONSOR ($250 or more) Irwin and Cheryl Brown Laura and Gary Cooper Harvey and Arlene Coustan Friends and Members of First Unitarian Society John Anthony Gable Norm and Judy Greenberg Sanford Greenberg and Betsy Perdue Joan and Guy Gunzberg Robert Harris Anne Heider and Steve Warner Nancy and Arthur Hirsch Louise Holland Karen Hunt Charles Katzenmeyer in honor of Matt Greenberg Rae Kendrick Marina and Andrey Kuznetsov Sandi and Mike Miller Vreni Naess Drs. Donald and Mary Ellen Newsom Richard and Cindy Pardo John and Gail Polles Ann F. Raney Robin Reeves Alan Richmond Lisa Scott Gordon and Evelyn Straw Kris Swanson Geri Sztuk Barbara Volin Shawn Ying

DONORS

c o n t.

PATRONS ($100 or more) Anonymous Gary and Susan Agrest Tom Andrews Wendy Anker and Edward Reed Dian and David Barth Susan Beal Barbara Butz and Robb Geiger Martrice Caldwell Judy Chernick Thomas and Sally Coyle Ruth Crippen Theodore and Ann Doege Jane and Joel Erkenswick Ron & Judy Eshleman Terry Yale Feiertag Norma Felbinger Judith Grubner and Craig Jobson Margo Lynn Hablutzel Marsha K. Hahn and Patrick Moriarty Kathleen Higgins Jim and Lois Hobart Jean and Lester Hunt Joe Jania Michael and Kathleen Johnston John and Martha Jurecko Susan Kamp Tom and Linda Kamp Ivan and Jasna Lappin Helen Lauderdale Lindy Lauderdale Barbara and Martin Letscher Susan and Joe Lunn Mary and Steven Magnani Jennifer Marling Paul and Judith Matijevic Karen Maurer Cheryl and Tom McRoberts Glenn Meade Betsy Meisenheimer and Wes Westerfield David Miller and Mary Ellen McNish Robert and Lois Moeller

Cathy and Paul Newport Karen Owen Larry and Judy Pitts Jane Ann Prest Carol E. Rine Trust Ken and Kristine Rupert Suzanne and Tim Schoolmaster Corinne Siegel Laura Smith Les and Bev Smulevitz Julius and Alice Solomon Tom and Linda Spring Peggy Sullivan Eileen Sutter Dave and Carolyn Utech Clark and Joan Wagner in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Roger Cole Brad and Lori Wainer Tracy and Tony Weisman Robert and Barbara Wichmann Lance and Stephanie Wilkening Robert Wolff FRIEND ($50 or more) Anonymous Diane Altkorn Peter Barrett Vivian Beckford Allan I. and Jan L. Bergman Paris Braxton Donna Brazulis in honor of Mr. & Mrs. Walter Brazulis Frank Brockway Carole Brown Jennifer Burrus Ioanna and Robert Chaney Duane and Yolanda Clark Deborah Cullen Lynn & Jim Denton Brenda and Tom Engelhardt Jim and Carol Fancher Katie Frankle and David Goldham Valerie and Stephen Garry Evelyn Gauditis

Jim Ginsburg and Patrice Michaels Cheryl Gold in honor of David Perlman Paul and Cassie Hadfield Irene Hansen Valerie Humowiecki Joan Hutchinson and Norm Clearfield Janis Kanter Natalie Knight and Collin Tillotson Patience Kramer in honor of Helen Gagel Colleen Labozetta David and Darlene Landsittel Charles and Sandra Levi Scott and Kelly McCleary Daniel Melamed William Miles Robert and Laure Mineo William R. Muenster Belverd and Marian Needles Sonia Ness and Peter Jenkins Marjorie Pentland Carolyn and Peter Pereira William and Ellen Pullin Allyn Rawling Ruth Ellen Rootberg Jewel T. Sims David and Barbara Slivnick Dennis and Patricia Smith Terrill L. Stumpf Juan and Olga Suarez Mary Sullivan Bernard Szeszol Nancy Ellen Tauchman David Terman Willard Thomen Kris Torkelson and Charles Twichell John Vorrasi Shirlene Ward and Kevin Kipp Cheryl Wollin Dimis J. Wyman Joel and Frances Zemans

SUSTAINING DONORS By joining our Sustaining Donor program, the following individuals support the work of Chicago a cappella while reducing our fundraising costs and saving resources. Sustaining donors choose the level and frequency of their automatic payment, and receive the benefits of annual tax deductions without the hassle of writing checks. For more information, pick up and envelope in the lobby, visit our website, or call (773) 281-7820.

A huge thank you to our Sustaining Donors: Susan Beal Frank Brockway Norma Felbinger Patrice Michaels and Jim Ginsburg Sanford Greenberg & Betsy Perdue Don and Joanna Gwinn Ann Hewitt

Jean & Lester Hunt Doug & Christine Kelner Rae Kendrick Vreni Naess Donald & Mary Ellen Newsom Ken Novak Alice & David Osberg

Carolyn Sacksteder Warren & Jennifer Schultz Tom & Linda Spring Ann Stevens David & Carolyn Utech Frank Villella Shirlene Ward & Kevin Kipp

The Birth of Gospel

23

Please help Chicago a cappella enrich more lives with great music by supporting our educational and artistic work with a tax-deductible gift.

Ticket sales cover only a small portion of our costs. In fact, our single largest source of revenue is the generosity of individual donors, with more than 1/3 of our operating budget coming from friends like you.

Your support now is vital as we further expand our educational programming. This year, we expanded our Youth Choral Festival at the University of Chicago’s spectacular Logan Center for the Arts. This Festival and our High School Internship program teach and inspire students from the entire Chicago area, mentoring the next generation of singers and music lovers. The deep impact of our new educational programs is already making a huge difference in the lives of young people.

We hope you will join the Chicago a cappella family of wonderful singers, students, directors, educators, music-lovers, and supporters. Please make a generous, tax-deductible donation today, and be a part of Chicago a cappella. Thank you.

Donate online at chicagoacappella.org, or use the form below to make your gift today.

Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ State: __________ ZIP: __________________ Email: _____________________________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________ (This is my

Home

Work

Cell )

Enclosed is a gift of $___________________ Payment information: Check (payable to “Chicago a cappella”)

Credit card (Visa/MC/Discover/AmEx)

Card number: _______________________________________Exp date:_________________ Signature:__________________________________________________________________ Chicago a cappella, 2936 N. Southport Ave., 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60657-4120 Phone (773) 281-7820 | Fax (773) 435-6453 Email: info@chicagoacappella.org | www.chicagoacappella.org 24

Chicago a cappella