Chicago a cappella launches 2024-25 season with ‘Lamentations’ in Naperville

Chicago a cappella, Chicago’s premier unaccompanied vocal ensemble, begins its 2024-25 season this September with “Lamentations,” a program exploring narratives of displacement, yearning for home, and rebuilding.

Featuring works that span numerous genres from multiple eras of, audiences will be treated to a unique collaboration between the 10 singers of Chicago a cappella and five dancers from dance company Ballet 5:8, presenting a modern twist on a longtime staple of choral repertoire, Thomas Tallis’ “Lamentations of Jeremiah.”

A four-concert tour begins on Sept. 27 and travels around the Chicago area with stops in Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, and Naperville. Tickets are on sale now at chicagoacappella.org.

The program begins with Chicago a cappella singers, unaccompanied and unconducted, performing two traditional folk songs arranged by John William Trotter, Chicago a cappella’s artistic director and the music director for this program, “Wayfaring Stranger” and “Farewell to Nova Scotia.”

Also in the first half of the program are two pieces by a pair of the best-known composers from the European Renaissance, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s “Super Flumina Babylonis” and Tomás Luis de Victoria’s “O Vos Omnes.”

Russian composer Pavel Chesnokov’s “Spaseniye,” a piece that premiered only after Chesnokov had been sent to a gulag by the Soviet government, and two works by contemporary U.S. based composers Sarai Hillman and Saunders Choi, round out the first half of the program.

Hillman was CAC’s first HerVoice composer — a program launched by CAC in 2021 to provide training and mentorship to the next generation of women choral composers. Her piece “Psalm 59:16: Refuge and Safety” was premiered by CAC in 2022. Choi’s work “The New Colossus” takes as its text the poem by Emma Lazarus mounted on the plinth of the Statue of Liberty.

The second half of the program begins with the highly anticipated performance of the Tallis featuring original choreography by Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager. Five dancers from Ballet 5:8 join the 10 singers of Chicago a cappella to embody the deep yearning expressed in Tallis’ interpretation of the biblical story of the destruction of Jerusalem. After the desolation of the Tallis, contemporary American composer Howard Helvey’s “O Lux Beatissima” closes the program with an evocation of all things light.

“I look forward to audiences benefiting from the expressive and therapeutic power of this program,” Trotter said. “Tallis’ masterpiece the ‘Lamentations of Jeremiah’ is a stunningly, achingly beautiful work full of deep emotion and pathos. Imagine losing your community, your friends, your heroes, your home. The committed and personal choreography of Ballet 5:8 evokes and embodies the profound reversal of fortune as described in this masterwork. The singers will bring their signature dedication to a wide range of repertoire, from folk songs to motets, each bringing a new perspective on the loss of home. In gathering our courage to face the literature of lament, we unexpectedly find we have drunk from the deep well of affirmation of all that is good, true, and beautiful.”

Performers for “Lamentations” are sopranos Carolyne DalMonte, Rebecca Fitzpatrick, and Amanda Kohl; mezzo-sopranos Thereza Lituma and Chelsea Lyons; tenors Michaël Hudetz and Trevor Mitchell; basses Adam Kosberg, Alex Quackenbush, and Aaron Wardell; and dancers Sarah Clarke, Lorianne Robertson, Elizabeth Marlin, Melanie Rodrigues and Kayla Kowach.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the Allen Recital Hall at Holtschneider Performance Center, 2330 N. Halsted St. in Chicago; 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave. in Evanston; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Grace Episcopal Church, 924 Lake St. in Oak Park; and 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave. in Naperville.

Tickets are $38 general admission or $48 for preferred seating with a limited number of $10 student tickets and “Pay What You Can” tickets available at each performance.

Additionally, audiences have the opportunity to purchase a ticket to receive a link to a digital version of the performance for $38, available to stream from home beginning the week of Oct. 21.

Further discounts are available for members and groups of 10 or more. Tickets for all performances in this season are available now at chicagoacappella.org.

About the artists:

Chicago a cappella is a dynamic ensemble of 10 singers who passionately celebrate every music genre. With remarkable voices, charismatic personalities, and an unwavering commitment to ensemble singing, their creative concert experiences forge deep connections with audiences, inspiring both awe and laughter. Founded in the early ’90s, Chicago a cappella has traversed the nation, collaborating with esteemed guest artists, and earning accolades for their CDs.

More than just an ensemble, Chicago a cappella is an organization dedicated to advancing the art and appreciation of ensemble singing. Initiatives such as ¡Cantaré! Chicago, a program launched in 2016 that brings composers from Mexico into Chicago classrooms, and HerVoice a program launched in 2021 to provide mentorship and training to women choral composers underscore their commitment to inclusivity and mentorship.

Chicago a cappella’s season continues with “Holidays a cappella” Dec. 6-14 including a “Family Edition” version of the concert on Dec. 7; a special “Drink ‘n’ Sing” event on Feb. 13; and “Jazz a cappella” on March 29 to April 6.

John William Trotter assumed the role of artistic director in July 2020, following a successful tenure as a guest music director since 2013. An acclaimed choral leader, he fosters connections between musicians and audiences, celebrating the transformative power of music in human identity.

Ballet 5:8 is a female and minority-led premiere ballet company recognized for artistic excellence, innovation and beauty. Mexican American artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager is a 2023 National Visiting Fellow for the School of American Ballet and a finalist for the Chicago Dancemakers Forum. She creates dynamic ballet experiences drawing from life, faith, and diverse perspectives that tell relevant stories for the 21st century. Ballet 5:8 is a resident company at the Harris Theater in Chicago and tours nationally and offers robust opportunities for outreach to bring this beautiful art form to new communities around the country.

Julianna Rubio Slager is a visionary choreographer whose creative practice is deeply rooted in her identity as a woman, Latina, and mother. With a keen understanding of the human experience, she harnesses the power of dance to explore complex themes and evoke profound emotions. Her choreographic voice juxtaposes mass movement with individualism, drawing inspiration from the grand tapestry of life and the intimate moments experienced within our bodies. Her work challenges traditional ballet narratives, often centering on topics such as motherhood, identity, and societal issues. With prestigious recognition such as the SAB Fellowship and as a finalist for the Chicago Dancemakers Forum, she has created over 50 ballets, demonstrating her commitment to pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance and fostering inclusivity and accessibility in the field. Through innovative choreography and multimedia elements like projections, she invites audiences to connect on a deeply empathetic level, inspiring and impacting audiences worldwide.