Sunday: ‘A Concert for Hope’ in response to gun violence
Free concert at Northwestern’s Alice Millar Chapel to focus on reflection and hope
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University’s Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music kicks off the fall season of choir concerts with a reflection on the gun violence crisis gripping our nation.
“A Concert for Hope” to be held on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Alice Millar Chapel in Evanston addresses the urgent issue of gun violence and aims to create space both to mourn victims and to inspire hope for a better, safer future. The program includes Stacy Garrop’s “Repair the World,” a piece commissioned for the one-year anniversary of the Highland Park Fourth of July mass shooting.
WHAT: “A Concert for Hope”
WHO: Northwestern’s Alice Millar Chapel Choir
WHERE: Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road, Evanston
WHEN: 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27
Media are invited to cover the concert. Please RSVP in advance to Stephen Lewis at stephen.j.lewis@northwestern.edu.
“A Concert for Hope” is the first of three free choral concerts for the fall academic quarter. On Nov. 3, the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble returns with their annual “Evensong” performance. Rounding out the season with holiday cheer, The Alice Millar Chapel Choir, Philharmonia and Millar Brass Ensemble come together for “A Festival of Lessons and Carols” on Dec. 8 with readings and musical pieces from the medieval to modern eras.
More information about these events and the rest of the fall performance season is available online at concertsatbienen.org.
Fall Program details:
5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27
Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road
Free (donations accepted)
Stephen Alltop, conductor; Alice Millar Chapel Choir and soloists; Eric Budzynski, organ
The program includes moving and dramatic works for choir, soloists, piano and strings by Stacy Garrop, Bob Dylan, Andrea Ramsey, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Adam Podd, as well as selections from Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem,” Op. 9.
Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble: Evensong — A remarkable stillness and serenity of soul
5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 3
Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road
Free
Andrew Megill, conductor; Eric Budzynski, organ
In keeping with tradition, the ensemble opens the year with a concert modeled on the Anglican Evensong service. Experience an afternoon of contemplation and reflection featuring non-sectarian readings and beautiful choral music, including Benjamin Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb” and Francis Poulenc’s “Un soir de neige” (An Evening of Snow). Both works explore finding one’s place in the world and celebrating one’s truest nature.
A Festival of Lessons and Carols
10:40 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 8
Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road
Free (donations accepted)
Stephen Alltop, conductor, Alice Millar Chapel Choir, Philharmonia, Millar Brass Ensemble
A beloved holiday tradition continues, where readings and musical gems combine to portray the Christmas miracle. The program includes carol settings from medieval to modern for brass, strings, organ and choir by J. S. Bach, Bob Chilcott, Jonathan Dove, Cecilia McDowall, James MacMillan, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and Will Todd.
Artist Bios
Conductor, harpsichordist and organist Stephen Alltop is director of music for Alice Millar Chapel, conductor of the Baroque Music Ensemble and senior lecturer in conducting, harpsichord and oratorio in the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music at Northwestern. He also serves as music director for the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. Alltop is a passionate advocate for under-represented composers in both the orchestral and choral realms. In 2022, he was named Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras and has also been named to Northwestern’s Faculty Honor Roll.
Andrew Megill is professor of conducting and director of choral organizations at the Bienen School of Music, where he holds the Carol F. and Arthur L. Rice, Jr. University Professorship in Performance. Additionally, he leads Music of the Baroque, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the Carmel Bach Festival Chorale and Fuma Sacra. Megill is recognized as one of the leading choral conductors of his generation, admired for both his passionate artistry and his unusually wide-ranging repertoire, which extends from early music to newly composed works. Recordings of choirs conducted or prepared by him may be heard on the Decca, EMI, Canteloupe, Naxos, Albany and CBC labels.