Anima chorus celebrates 50 years
Founded in 1964 as the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus, Anima/Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus is an internationally recognized nonprofit youth choral organization located in Glen Ellyn, serving youth throughout the Chicago area.
Anima's mission is to transform young lives through excellence in music education and choral singing. This year it is celebrating 50 years of service. Recently, Anima won the Chorus America/ASCAP award for Adventurous Programming.
Throughout its 50 years, Anima has received many awards, but its most important accomplishment is touching children's lives. Watching a child walk onto a stage filled with confidence and joy generates a feeling as nothing else can. The impact the chorus has on its members is summed up by alumnae, board member and current chorister parent Simrit Patel.
"Music class was always my favorite class in school, and as a 9-year-old, I joined the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus because I loved to sing," she said.
"I had no idea what a strong impact this organization would have in shaping me into who I am today, both musically and otherwise. This organization has helped me develop the confidence and the leadership skills that I use every day working as an attorney.
"This organization truly is a family, and I am thrilled that my daughters decided to join the chorus. Having the unique perspective of being an alumni and a parent to current choristers, I am happy to see the tradition of musical excellence being passed down to a whole new generation of young singers."
The chorus' four ensembles serve children from more than 35 different Chicago-area communities, with outreach programs reaching 1,000 additional students annually.
Anima performs regularly with Chicago's major musical organizations, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera and Chicago Sinfonietta, in addition to concerts locally, nationally and internationally. International tours have taken the chorus to six continents. Performing in its home community of Glen Ellyn is a priority for the chorus.
This year the choristers sang at the Glen Ellyn Arts in the Park and participated in numerous other performances for organizations such as Bridge Communities, Atria Senior Living and St. Mark's annual Pumpkin Patch. Performances in Peoria, Galesburg, Geneva and Deerfield were also highlights of the season.
In addition to self-produced concerts featuring alumni and current students, this 50th anniversary season has included collaborations with Ravinia, the Soul Children of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta and the Grant Park Symphony.
The chorus accepts new members into its ensembles each fall. For information, call (630) 858-2471 or visit animasingers.org.