Director's Notes

We are simply thrilled to share the stage with Anima–Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus for Wintersong 2023! Artistic Director Evan Bruno and I began developing the vision for this intergenerational concert a year ago, and it's been a joyful process.

Several singers in the Glen Ellyn–Wheaton Chorale have childhood roots in Anima. This concert feels like a "full circle" experience to them. The fact that they still seek out choral experiences as adults attests to Anima's mission and influence!

GEWC and Anima are thankful to be part of the vibrant arts culture here in the western suburbs, and Karl Jenkins' Stella Natalis is an ideal vehicle to bring our groups together. We are also delighted to collaborate with superb instrumentalists from the Chicago area, including Joel Lehman on solo trumpet.

This has been a year of changes for the Chorale, starting with our move to this stunning venue at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church. Thank you, dear audience, for following us here. We know you will enjoy the comfort and beauty of this space.

We hope our concert ushers in your holiday joy! Stella Natalis means "star of birth." As Karl Jenkins said, this work "conveys the Christmas message of peace, goodwill, and compassion." These are our wishes for you, for our community, and for the world.

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

The Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale wishes to thank our partners...
Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, for loaning music equipment
Spirito Singers and Carling Fitzsimmons, Director, for loaning choral risers
Hinsdale Chorale and Mary Hopper, Director, for loaning music scores
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, for their hospitality and support

The Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale is pleased to announce we are joining forces with Anima–Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus for Wintersong 2023, performing selected movements from Karl Jenkins' Stella Natalis.

Evan Bruno is Anima's energetic director [anima-singers.org]. Evan and I started planning in the fall of 2022, and we are excited about the artistic vision for this collaboration. Together, we are eager to raise awareness of the rich musical culture right here in the western suburbs, and Stella Natalis is an ideal vehicle for this dynamic project.

Composer Karl Jenkins, known for his "global crossover" style, mixes classical with ethnic percussion. He writes, "Stella Natalis means 'star of birth,' and the music conveys the Christmas message of peace, goodwill, compassion, and a new beginning, whilst using a wider palette of inspiration." The program is rounded out with holiday selections our audiences love to hear and our singers love to sing.

For our spring concert 2024, get ready for Adolphus Hailstork's "Shout for Joy" with pipe organ, timpani, and brass ensemble. This mighty, 14-minute work will anchor a joyful and inspiring program packed with spirituals. You will not want to miss this memorable experience!

If you would like to hear our recent concert "Dream of Flight" again, you may order a CD [gewchorale.org/shop] OR hear us on Northern Public Radio. Eric Hradecky hosts "Encore!" presenting live performances from regional classical musicians. We are honored to be chosen for this broadcast. Tune in to WNIJ/WNIU (90.5 fm) or the livestream [northernpublicradio.org] to hear "Dream of Flight" on Monday, June 26 at 7 p.m.

If all of this entices you to join GEWC, we invite you to request an audition. Singers of all vocal parts are welcome to apply, but we especially need alto 2's, tenors, and basses for the upcoming season. Auditions include singing a familiar song, vocal exercises, sight reading, and independent part singing. A prepared piece is welcome but not required. To schedule an audition on August 22 or 29, 7:30–9:30 p.m. please visit our Auditions page [gewchorale.org/contact-us/auditions].

We look forward to being with you on the radio, at an audition, or in a concert. Whether you love to sing or love to listen, the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale is here for you—bringing harmony to your community!

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

“Dream of Flight,” our concert theme, was inspired by Christopher Tin’s gloriously exciting “Sogno di Volare,” a setting of thoughts by Leonardo da Vinci on the subject of human flight.

What is it about flying that captures our imagination?

Isak Dinesen, the Danish author, remembered her many flights over Africa as “the most transporting pleasure of my life.” She wrote, “Every time I have gone up in an aeroplane . . . I have had the consciousness of a great new discovery. ‘I see,’ I have thought, ‘This was the idea. And now I understand everything.’”

Flying shows us something about the world as well as something about ourselves. And so does music.

Our concert offers “transporting pleasures,” panoramic views, high aspirations, and maybe a few goosebumps. We are delighted to present works by award-winning composers Christopher Tin, Elaine Hagenberg, Ola Gjeilo, Susan Brumfield, and Kim André Arnesen, plus some of our favorite gospel, pop, and blues songs.

Filmmaker Evelyne Faye wrote, “I wish for you—as I wish for everyone—to be seen as a universe with infinite possibilities.” This is our wish, too.

What is your own “Dream of Flight”?

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

We hope you will join us on December 2 or 3 for Wintersong 2022: The Best Gifts!

German artist Sonja Danowski created the illustrations we will enjoy during Greg Wheatley's dramatic reading of "The Gift of the Magi." Sonja's soft textures and warm palette evoke the tender feelings of O. Henry's beloved story. She shared her thoughts with us...

It has been over a century since O. Henry wrote the story. So much has changed since then, but there is a sustaining force that transcends all: the feeling of affection, compassion, and sensitivity to the needs of loved ones. Love flows through us in thoughts and feelings, and it can be shared in gestures and in the beautiful language of art and music. It means so much to me that at this concert two forms of expression meet to celebrate the importance of love together. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We invite you to enjoy this concert, an extraordinary collaboration of many art forms—Sonja's lovely artwork, O. Henry's timeless story, Kathryn O'Brochta's ballet interpretation of "Suzy Snowflake," an array of brilliant compositions, stellar performances by Genuine Brass, percussionists, and keyboardists, and best of all, the glorious voices of the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale and Ensemble.

You, our audience, are our collaborators, too. We hope you receive as much joy from this concert as we will in singing it for you. We wish you all The Best Gifts.

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

You might remember Skitch Henderson as the witty pianist and conductor on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in the 1950s. Skitch left Hollywood to establish The New York Pops in 1983.

He commissioned Randol Alan Bass to compose a setting of the Gloria for his New York group. Bass is a noted pianist, singer, conductor, and advocate for non-professional musicians. Prestigious ensembles throughout the United States have performed his compositions.

Bass's Gloria continues to be one of the most critically acclaimed works for the holiday season. This rhythmic yet lyrical setting of the traditional Latin text has immediate appeal—familiar, comforting, bold, and fresh. Singers love to sing it, and audiences love to hear it.

Skitch conducted the premiere of this splendid piece at Carnegie Hall in 1990. Since then, it has been programmed by musical ensembles around the world. And now, it will be the exciting opener of GEWC's December concert.

Genuine Brass, a local professional ensemble, will accompany the Chorale. This is the first time since the pandemic began that we have the joy of performing with brass instruments. They will light up the stage with their artistry, and I can hardly wait for us to perform with them.

It's going to be a thrilling season, and Bass's Gloria is only the beginning!

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

My friend Paul and his boys were invited to their "Grandma Carol's" house for dinner. When they entered her home, nine-year-old Jonathan's senses took in the beautiful table gleaming with Carol's best china and crystal, the glowing candles, and the enticing aromas coming from her kitchen.

Jonathan's eyes beamed and he declared, "Something wonderful is about to happen!"

This is precisely how I feel as our May concerts are approaching—something wonderful is about to happen!

"Clear Blue Morning" is our program theme, inspired by the Dolly Parton classic, "Light of a Clear Blue Morning." Our concert opens with Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Let All the World in Every Corner Sing" accompanied by the festive sounds of organ, timpani, and one of the best handbell choirs in Chicagoland, Altar Bells of Gary United Methodist Church.

Audiences will enjoy each course of this musical banquet, from Brahms' "How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place" to Halley's remarkable "Freedom Trilogy." Other delights along the way include pieces by Stephen Paulus, Dan Forrest, Susan Brumfield, Shawn Kirchner, and others. There is even a nod to Stephen Sondheim with a piece from Sunday in the Park with George.

All the preparations are in place… inspiring and exciting repertoire, amazing guest musicians, rich and dulcet soloists, and a program of choral favorites as only the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale can deliver. Something wonderful is about to happen, and we hope you will be there to enjoy the feast!

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

The Hebrew scriptures tell us that God sings! This astounding verse from Zephaniah is probably my favorite passage in the Bible. It inspired Susan Boersma to write a poem called "Anthems of Love."

Composer Dan Forrest set her words to music, and the Glen Ellen-Wheaton Chorale will perform this uplifting piece with voices, string ensemble, piano, and an excellent handbell ensemble from Gary United Methodist Church.

Great music has the power to give us a transcendent experience, a fleeting impression of a larger reality. Sometimes we search for words to express our joy and wonder when we have such moments.

One choir member said that when she sings "Anthems of Love," even though all is not right with the world, she can experience true goodness and joy while we make music together.

Another singer described how deeply happy she feels when she sees joy on the faces of those listening. One person said he feels close to God when he hears this song.

The act of performing "Anthems of Love" unfolds its own truth. As we sing, we fulfill the message of the song, sharing joy with one another and receiving joy at the same time. For those who believe in God, this mirrors the pleasure that we give to and receive from God–"The Father Himself singing over His children, taking delight in the anthems we raise."ⁱ

GEWC's former director, Greg Wheatley, had programmed Forrest's joyful piece just as the pandemic hit. The Chorale has not been able to perform it until now. Watch our website for details of our spring concert on May 6 and 7. We look forward to sharing "Anthems of Love" and many other inspiring songs!

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

ⁱ "Anthems of Love," poem by Susan Boersma, copyright 2016, Beckenhorst Press.

Great poetry in the hands of a great composer:
Let All the World in Every Corner Sing

by Jennifer Whiting, Music Director

I like to meditate on great hymn texts. They speak to my soul. As George Herbert wrote, "A verse may find him who a sermon flies."ⁱ

George Herbert was a 17th-century Anglican poet and priest. His prayer life was the wellspring of his writings. A century later, John Wesley became a fan of Herbert and adapted nearly 50 of his poems as Methodist hymns.ⁱⁱ Many of the borrowed poems were from a collection titled The Temple, published after Herbert's death.

Two of Herbert's texts still appear in the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal. They are "Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life" and "Let All the World in Every Corner Sing." Herbert's vivid images and humble devotion invite us into a personal encounter with the Divine. His intimate scenes help us to see ourselves in new ways.

Herbert's title for "Let All the World in Every Corner Sing" is "Antiphon," which means a responsive reading or song. His original poem appeared with directions for "Cho." (chorus) and "Vers." (versical, a short verse sung or spoken by a leader and followed by a response from the people). Here is the poem with Herbert's original spellings and directions.

The English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams recognized that Herbert's "Antiphon" is an ideal text for a choral song of praise. He included it as the final, joyful movement of his Five Mystical Songs (a cycle of poems by George Herbert). This year marks the 150th anniversary of Vaughan Williams' birth, and the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale will perform this exciting anthem in our spring concert, accompanied by organ, piano, handbells, and percussion.

Religious poetry and music can have universal appeal. Ursula Vaughan Williams wrote about her husband's religious position, "He was an atheist during his later years at Charterhouse and at Cambridge, though he later drifted into a cheerful agnosticism: he was never a professing Christian."^iv

Great poetry in the hands of a great composer creates a guided meditation for the listener, regardless of personal religious views. Using musical devices to illuminate the meaning of the words is called "text painting." It is fascinating to notice these details in the music.

Let's look at a couple of ways Vaughan Williams' skilled composition helps us to experience Herbert's text. For instance, the composer assigns the words "the heavens are not too high" to the high voices, and "the earth is not too low" to the low voices.

Herbert uses the refrain "all the world in ev'ry corner." John Donne famously used this same image in his sonnet, "At the round earth's imagined corners, blow your trumpets, angels." (Incidentally, the families of Herbert and Donne were close friends, and Herbert studied the work of Donne. No doubt, George had John's sonnet in his mind.)

We are familiar with the expression "the four corners of the world," which means "to the farthest reaches in every direction—north, south, east, and west." To amplify this thought, the composer layers one voice upon another, singing "Let all the world, let all the world, let all the world" as though people over the whole earth are adding their voices to the chorus of praise.

Listen for text painting in this phrase, "But above all, the heart must bear the longest part." The composer prolongs the notes on the word "longest." While the church is shouting psalms, the poet reminds worshipers to prolong God's praise in their hearts even after they leave the sanctuary.

If you would like to read another poem by Herbert, I recommend "Love III" (Love bade me welcome). It is my favorite. And if you would like to hear Vaughan Williams' setting of "Antiphon," we invite you to our May concert! Please join us for this and many other great works of art on May 6 and 7 at College Church in Wheaton.

ⁱ Herbert, George; from "The Church-porch"; The Temple; published posthumously, 1633, Cambridge.
ⁱⁱ Leach, Elsie A.; John Wesley's Use of George Herbert; Huntington Library Quarterly, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Feb. 1953), pp. 183-202; University of Pennsylvania Press.
ⁱⁱⁱ Herbert, George; "Antiphon"; The Temple, 1633, Cambridge.
^iv Vaughan Williams, Ursula; R.V.W.: A Biography of Ralph Vaughan Williams (Clarendon Paperbacks), March 18, 1993.

How can we begin to explain how it feels to sing together again after such a long absence? The splendid voices of the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale are thrilled to be together again!

As a conductor, I have been without an "instrument" since March 2020. And now, with the glorious opportunity to stand before this fine Chorale, my heart overflows with joy.

At every rehearsal, despite the shifting protocols, these singers overwhelm me with their beautiful sounds. The wonder of live vocal music brings us back to parts of ourselves that have been dormant for twenty months.

So, we are eager to share this outstanding holiday program with you—full of songs that express profound emotions, from deep longing to utter joy.

Guest organist Kevin Lange opens the concert with Andrew Carter's glittering "Toccata on Veni Emmanuel," and the Chorale performs Rosephanye Powell's "The Word Was God."

Immediately we move into Donald McCullough's exciting "Canite Tuba" with prophetic texts from Joel and Isaiah. We sing, "The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain." (Perhaps you will think of one or two things in the world that could be made straight.) Organ, timpani, and full percussion create grandeur fit for the arrival of a king.

A Chorale favorite, "The Dream Isaiah Saw" offers a vision of the world made right. Glenn Rudolph was composing this piece when the attacks of September 11, 2001, took place. Percussion and timpani help to bring the song to its mighty conclusion.

You will not want to miss Craig Hella Johnson's tender setting of "Lo, How a Rose / The Rose," or Julian Wachner's sparkling arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High." Mac Willaert leads the Ensemble in joyful and inspiring pieces by Ola Gjeilo, Judith Clurman, and Toby Young.

We end the program with Christmas nostalgia and cheer, including "Jingle Bell Fantasy," "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," and a jazzy "Feliz Navidad."

What puts you in the Christmas spirit? Circling your favorite toys in a catalog, or making Amazon wish lists? Chopping down a live fir, or pulling a pre-lit tree from a Costco box? Bing Crosby on a vinyl LP, or a Spotify playlist?

Whatever you do, please set aside time to enjoy a live concert with the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale. We are delighted to sing for you in person again. And may your holidays be "Merry and Bright"!

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale

Hello, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale friends! I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Chorale as their new Music Director and look forward to a wonderful year of music ahead!

It was such a great pleasure to hear each of the members sing for auditions and vocal visits. I've said that getting to know a choir is like sitting down to a pipe organ for the first time. You have to play each stop separately to get to know the instrument—and what a wonderful instrument we have! Our musical gifts combine into a mighty chorus, and it's exciting to think of the music that lies ahead.

When I conducted voice visits, I asked the members why they enjoyed singing with GEWC. We found repeated themes of love for music and singing, emotional well-being, mental challenge, artistic fulfillment, vocal fitness, friendships, and community. Members outlined why we do what we do!

One member noted, "The art of joining 60 voices into one beautiful work of art is a piece of heaven." Another simply stated, "Music gives life." One of my favorite remarks summed it up for us all: "Singing with a choir makes the world seem right."

Tuesday evening with the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale is my favorite time of the week. Making music together—even outdoors and masked—lifts my spirits and "reorganizes my molecules" (as my friend likes to quip).

Over the past 18 months of separation, we have learned anew how precious it is to inhabit a space together and set the air in motion with our voices. We change the atmosphere around us into an invisible work of art, and somehow this changes us, too.

Alice Parker says, "It's like the sound that fills a room, fills our hearts. One of the most human and one of the most rewarding and one of the most civilizing things that we can do, is to sing together."

No matter how our singers feel when they enter rehearsal on a Tuesday evening, my goal is that by the time they leave, they will feel better, happier, more connected to others and to themselves.

This is the power of choral singing, and this is the joy that we can't wait to share with you in December!

Wintersong 2021: Merry and Bright includes Wachner's sparkling arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High," Langford's jazzy "Feliz Navidad," and Darby's nostalgic "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." The Chorale will also inspire you with works by Donald McCullough, Rosephanye Powell, and Craig Hella Johnson.

Concerts take place on Friday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 4 at 3:00 p.m. at College Church, 335 E. Seminary Avenue, Wheaton, IL. You'll find ticket information right here on our website.

I am thrilled to take the stage for the first time with the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale, and we hope you will join us for some holiday cheer!

Jennifer Whiting
Music Director, Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale