DuPage Chorale Performs Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dec. 4 at the MAC
DuPage Chorale presents an evening of traditional hymns, spirituals and "A Sermon from the Mountain," a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, in Belushi Performance Hall at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd.
The group, which performs under the direction of Lee Kesselman, is a large community chorus performing choral concerts, often in conjunction with a professional orchestra.
The Dec. 4 performance is held in conjunction with a residency by renowned choral composer, conductor, arranger and author Alice Parker and features her work "A Sermon from the Mountain." Written in the wake of King's assassination, the piece uses speeches of Dr. King's, spiritual passages from his sermons and words of spirituals in an extended work for chorus, soloists, speaker and instruments. The evening's program also features traditional hymn tune settings by Parker and works by various composers, including Rosephanye Powell, Keith Hampton, Michael Reed and Thomas W. Jefferson. Guest artists include Chicago Community Chorus under Director Keith Hampton; narrator David Swope, Manager of the College's Center for Diversity and Inclusion; and vocalists Gail James (soprano), Teniya Farnandis (alto), Julian Terrell Otis (tenor) and Brandon Brown (bass).
Composer, conductor and teacher Parker began composing at an early age, writing her first orchestral score while in high school. She graduated from Smith College with a major in music performance and composition and received her master's degree from the Juilliard School where she studied choral conducting with Robert Shaw.
Her life-work has been in choral and vocal music, combining composing, conducting and teaching in a creative balance. Her arrangements with Robert Shaw of folksongs, hymns and spirituals form an enduring repertoire for choruses all around the world. She continues composing in many forms, from operas to cantatas, sacred anthems to secular dances, song cycles to string quartets. She has been commissioned by such groups as the Vancouver Chamber Chorus, the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Chanticleer. Her many conducting and teaching engagements keep her traveling around the United States and Canada.
Parker has published books on melodic styles, choral improvisation and "Good Singing in Church." Her detailed analysis, "The Anatomy of Melody," was released in 2006. In 2010, as a part of the Melodious Accord 25th Anniversary celebration, "The Alice Parker Melodious Accord Hymnal" was introduced. Five videos have appeared, showing her work with hymns and folksongs. She has been recognized by Chorus America, the American Guild of Organists, the American Choral Directors Association, The Hymn Society and Choral Arts New England for her lifetime contributions to choral music. She is the recipient of six honorary doctorates and the Smith College Medal.
Kesselman has been the director of Choral Activities at College of DuPage since 1981. A conductor, pianist, teacher and award-winning composer, he directs the DuPage Chorale, New Classic Singers, Chamber Singers and Concert Choir. In demand as a guest conductor and clinician, Kesselman has conducted Dominick Argento's "Postcard from Morocco" for OperaWorks! in Madison, Wisc. A member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and recipient of 20 consecutive ASCAP awards, Kesselman's compositions have been published by Boosey & Hawkes, Roger Dean Music, Colla Voce and Kesselman Press. Kesselman is currently the President-Elect of Illinois Choral Directors Association.
Tickets to the Dec. 4 concert are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and $6 for students.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the MAC Box office at (630) 942-4000, or visit www.atthemac.org.