Chorus America
Chorus America’s mission is to strengthen choruses and increase appreciation of choral music so that more people are enriched by its beauty and power. Since its founding in 1977, legions of choruses have benefited from Chorus America’s services and networking clout to boost their own effectiveness. When Chorus America helps choral professionals do their jobs more effectively, it can mean the difference between growing and prospering in a responsible manner, or barely staying afloat. It can mean the difference between reaching new levels of artistic and organizational excellence, or remaining static.
Naperville Chorus
The Naperville Chorus presents two major concerts each year, one in the winter holiday season and one in the spring. The Chorus was founded in 1976. Recent performances of the Chorus have included baroque music such as Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria, and lighter music such as Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury and Pirates of Penzance (excerpts) and selections from Die Fledermaus and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It has also performed 20th century music such as Honegger’s King David , Gian Carlo Menotti’s Bishop of Brindisi and Ramirez’ Misa Criolla . We combined forces with the Downers Grove Choral Society to present Israel in Egypt and have combined with the DuPage Symphony to present Russian Opera Choruses and Beethovan’s Ninth Symphony (also with the Downers Grove Choral Society).
Downers Grove Choral Society
We are a chorus that proudly carries on a tradition of excellence in the western suburbs. The first concert of the Society was Handel’s Messiah on December 6, 1959, under the direction of founder Thelma Roe Milnes. Our repertoire of great choral music includes the full spectrum of major choral works contemporary masterpieces and commissioned premieres. We perform with a professional symphony orchestra and the finest soloists in the Chicago area. We are a community-based volunteer organization with an annual operating budget of more than $60,000. Our sources of income include membership dues, ticket sales, program ads, corporate gifts, and donations from patrons of the arts. We also receive grant support from the Village of Downers Grove Community Grants Program, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Hinsdale Center for the Arts. Performances with area choruses or symphonies have included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the DuPage Symphony, Handel’s Israel in Egypt with the Naperville Chorus, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with several other choruses and the Brooklyn Philharmonic under the direction of Sherrill Milnes in Carnegie Hall.
