When the Apollo Chorus of Chicago and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra join forces, special things happen! You’re invited to hear these two outstanding musical ensembles, under the baton of Music Director Stephen Alltop, as they present the ESO’s fourth subscription program of the season, “Mozart Requiem,” at 7:30 pm on Saturday, February 25, at Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago, and at 3:00 pm on Sunday, February 26, at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Rd. in Elmhurst.
Following their highly successful collaboration on Verdi’s Requiem in 2010, the ESO and Apollo Chorus will come together around two magnificent and stirring works. Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum brims with the composer’s sense of grandeur and ceremony. From the rousing trumpet fanfares that announce the words “We Praise you, Oh God” to the majestic choruses that close the Te Deum, this is one of Handel’s most thrilling achievements in the English style. Mozart’s Requiem dates from the last year of the composer’s life and holds a special place in the hearts of music lovers. Balancing fire and solemnity, this music reflects the highest aspirations of the composer who was Amadeus, “Beloved of God.” Guest artists for the concert are soloists Sarah Gartshore, soprano; Nina Heebink, mezzo-soprano; Harold Brock, tenor, and David Govertsen, bass-baritone.
This concert is sponsored in part by Jan Milano in honor of ESO Executive Director Cynthia Bergquist Krainc. Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum is underwritten by a generous gift from Loretta Kalina.