Anima-Young Singers return from Baltics and St. Petersburg concert tour
Forty-one young people from Anima-Young Singers of Greater Chicago recently returned from a two-week concert tour to Estonia, Latvia and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Participating in the tour were Anima’s most experienced singers who comprise the “Touring Chorus” ensemble. They performed everywhere from the capital Estonia and Latvia’s capital cities to St. Petersburg, Russia.
The chorus has been preparing for this tour for more than a year, learning about the culture, history, dance and music. The Chicago Latvian dance troop Dzelmieši also participated as guest artists at the Anima’s spring concert, “Under the Baltic Sun.”
In a special addition to the trip, composer Imant Raminš accompanied the chorus back to his Latvian birthplace.
Anima has enjoyed a relationship with Raminš since 1980 and commissioned his opera, “The Nightingale,” for its 40th anniversary in 2005. His soulful music has affected hundreds of choristers and Anima was thrilled to share this tour with him.
Choristers ranged in age from 11 to 18 and came from 13 different towns: Aurora, Carol Stream, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Naperville, Oak Brook, Roselle, Westmont, Wheaton, Winfield and Woodridge.
Anima members sang in concerts with the Youth Choir of Tallinn Music High School in Estonia and the Cathedral Girls Choir in Riga, Latvia. They performed at the Ogre Cultural Center for Latvian choral conductors, in the Riga Dom, for the Jugla Centre for the Blind and for a residence for older adults in St. Petersburg.
Warmly received everywhere, they completed their tour in concert at the renowned Glinka Capella in St. Petersburg with the Russian chamber choir Serenade.
“This tour took us to a part of the world that places a high value on choral singing,” said Emily Ellsworth, the tour’s artistic director.
“Estonia alone, with a population of 1.4 million, has 1,000 choirs with tens of thousands of people singing. To sing in places with such rich musical heritage was a thrill, and to have composer Imant Raminš with us made this the trip of a lifetime.”
“This was my first international tour and it was absolutely amazing,” said chorister Jenna Devries. “The cities we went to, the churches we sang in, and the people we met were all incredible.
“Sharing music bonds people in a way that is truly unforgettable. ... We get to connect with the audience and each other and all learn and grow from the music. I think the music translates in all languages, and there is no better way to experience that then going on tour.”
Anima, formerly the Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus, is one of the nation’s most highly respected children’s choirs. Now entering its 48th year, the chorus is dedicated to providing any interested child with choral music experiences through performance, music education, serving the community through song, and touring nationally and internationally.
The chorus serves roughly 800 children from about 40 different area communities. Outreach programs include the annual Honors Chorus SingFest, ExpressMale Workshop and school exchanges. Choristers have performed with the world’s most prominent conductors at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Millennium Park with the Grant Park Orchestra, the Lyric Opera at the Civic Opera House in Chicago, and Symphony Center with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Interested children are welcome to join the chorus and no prior experience is needed. Interested families should call (630) 858-2471 for more information or to schedule an appointment for the chorus’ 2012-2013 season.