Chicago a cappella performs April 17
Chicago a cappella will bring a free public concert of “American Songbook Classics” to Cornell College at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 17, in Youngker Hall’s Kimmel Theatre.
The vocal group will celebrate the golden age of “America’s classical music” with witty and romantic tunes by composers including Gershwin, Porter, Kern, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Among the songs they will perform at their Cornell concert are “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Summertime,” “Getting to Know You,” “Come Fly With Me,” “All of Me,” “My Funny Valentine,” and “Blue Skies.”
Artistic director John William Trotter says the American songbook selections deserve to be seen as great art.
“Once I had been composing and analyzing music for some time, I began to see how deeply crafted and inspired many of these (supposedly “light”) pieces were. Many of these songs are, quite simply, great works of art,” he says.
Long recognized for vocal virtuosity and innovative programming, Chicago a cappella enjoys a reputation as a leader in the choral field.
An ensemble of professional singers founded in 1993, Chicago a cappella has produced more than 200 concerts on its Chicago-based series. On tour, the group has appeared in 13 American states and Mexico. The ensemble has been heard frequently on WFMT radio and through broadcasts distributed by American Public Media, including the nationally-syndicated “ Performance Today.” The ensemble has produced nine CD recordings of music ranging from Renaissance masses to contemporary works.
Chicago a cappella is also active in educational and community engagement. The ensemble produces an annual Youth Choral Festival for young singers from the Chicago area, and ¡Cantaré!, a unique cross-cultural program designed to bring the talents of composers from Mexico directly into Chicago classrooms and the concert hall through residencies in schools and an annual free community concert.
This is the final event in the Cornell Concert Series for the 2022-23 school year. The free public series features outstanding professional artists performing repertoire ranging from early to contemporary music. Subscribe to music events on Cornell’s new online calendar to receive periodic updates or download events directly to your personal calendar.
