Children's chorus celebrates name change with concert
An established, respected and venerable arts group's decision to change its name after 43 years will be celebrated Saturday and Sunday with performances at the Wentz Concert Hall on North Central College's campus.
"We commissioned a signature song to commemorate our new name," said Emily Ellsworth, artistic director of what has been known since May as Anima - Young Singers of Greater Chicago.
For several years, Ellsworth said, the nonprofit children's choral group formerly called the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus has drawn members not only from Glen Ellyn, but from beyond the village's borders - in fact, from all over the Chicago area.
"We felt we had outgrown our former name," she said. "The kids come from about 40 different communities."
The name Anima has Latin roots and means "breath, life, soul, spirit," she said.
Ellsworth said the commissioned piece, written by American composer Gwyneth Walker, will be presented at the conclusion of the first half of the holiday concert program, titled "Hearts on Fire." The chorus also will sing several of Walker's other compositions, Ellsworth said.
Both concerts will feature several guest artists, including a professional brass quintet, a guitarist and a percussionist, she said.
And both shows, she said, also will showcase the talents of three choral ensembles: the treble chorus, composed of about 30 children in third through fifth grades; the concert chorus, which includes singers ages 9 through 14; and the touring chorus, which includes advanced singers ages 12 through 18.
The second half of each of the two holiday concerts will focus on seasonal, mostly Christmas music, including a jazz arrangement by California musician Jennifer Barnes, Ellsworth said.
"She's doing a very fun arrangement of 'Frosty the Snowman.' She wrote it especially for us," Ellsworth said.
Ellsworth, with the group since 1996, said the choral group performs both locally and internationally.
Because Wentz' intimate performance space seats only about 600, the group has booked performances on two consecutive nights.
"It allows us to do our concert more than once," she said, adding that all seats are reserved.
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What: </b>"Hearts On Fire" holiday concert by Anima - Young Singers of Greater Chicago </p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20; 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21</p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 858-2471 or <a href="http://www.gechildrenschorus.org" target="new">gechildrenschorus.org</a></p>