From South Holland Master Chorale
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Phil Schwartz,
phil42147@yahoo.com

South Holland Master Chorale singers to perform at Carnegie Hall

“Practice, practice, practice” has paid off for singers from South Holland Master Chorale who have been invited to sing as part of a June concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

 The 26 singers from the Chicago Southland and Northwest Indiana will join an international chorus to perform the 1891 “Requiem” by French composer Gabriel Faure on June 8 at the world-famous concert hall that has long been the subject of the joking question, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” with the answer, “Practice, practice, practice.”

 Philip J. Bauman, the Chorale’s music director, explained how the honor came about. A Chorale concert in fall 2023 featured several works by Christopher Tin, a Grammy winner known for works for film, television and video game soundtracks. The Chorale’s performance got the attention of an organizer at Distinguished Concerts International New York, Bauman said. 

 That organization was putting together a concert of Tin’s music to be performed at Carnegie Hall, with Tin himself conducting, in spring 2024, Bauman said. “We were invited to participate in that concert based on the Chorale’s reputation and an audition tape.” However, because of scheduling conflicts the Chorale was not able to attend.

 “We were encouraged to find another concert sponsored DCINY that interested us,” Bauman said. When he learned the organization was planning a concert this spring featuring works by French composers, including Faure’s “Requiem”, he applied and the Chorale was again invited to participate. “Having already performed the Faure ‘Requiem’ just a few years ago, a Carnegie Hall concert featuring that work seemed the ideal concert setting for us,” he said.

 The June 8 concert will take place in the main Isaac Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall. In addition to the 26 singers from South Holland Master Chorale, it will include singers and musicians from Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland and Canada, as well as several U.S. states. Along with the Faure “Requiem,” some of the choirs will perform the “Misatango” by Argentine composer Martin Palmeri. While in New York, the singers and musicians will participate in two half-day rehearsals and a dress rehearsal with conductor Jean-Sebastien Vallee, music director of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.

 “I’m very excited to be working with a world-class conductor and learning from him,” Bauman said. “Directors can be inspired by their colleagues’ work as well.”

 “One of the things I’m most looking forward to is singing in the choir,” he said. “I’m excited to be singing and contributing from the other side of the podium and making beautiful music with my fellow choir members. The stage at Carnegie Hall is a treasured destination for any serious musician. I never dreamed I’d be singing on that stage; it has such a rich history. And to be singing there with my wife — what a blessing!”

 Referring back to the South Holland Master Chorale, he added, “It is an honor for us to be selected to participate in this concert. It is a testament to the dedication and artistry of the Chorale members that we were sought after and selected to be in this concert with choirs from many other countries. It is an opportunity to represent our village, the Southland and our state on the world’s most recognized and sought-after stage.”

 Those traveling to New York represent about a third of the Chorale’s nearly 80 members. The full Chorale currently is preparing for a pair of concerts in May and early June that will include a different “Requiem,” this one by 20th century French composer Maurice Durufle. Those concerts, May 18 at Thorn Creek Reformed Church in South Holland and June 1 at St. John the Evangelist Church in St. John, Ind., also will include the hymn “Misericordias Domini” (“The Mercies of the Lord”) by Mozart, the dramatic contemporary work “Echo” by Rob Dietz, and an earlier work by Faure, the melodious “Cantique de Jean Racine,” composed when he was just 19 years old.

 “All of our singers volunteer their time,” Bauman said. “It is a big commitment of time and talent. But our singers love to sing and to make glorious music with one another. They put their heart and soul into everything they do. They are an incredible group of dedicated singers.” 

 More information about the Chorale is available at southhollandmasterchorale.org.