Celebrate Lincoln's 200th birthday
Celebrate Lincoln's 200th birthday with the Elgin Children's Chorus performance of "Freedom Sings, " songs of freedom from around the world, at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 8 in the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin. This concert will feature Andrew Jeffrey as guest conductor of the concert and chamber choirs. He is choir director at Glenbard West and a member of the St. Charles Singers.
Under the direction of Jeffrey, the Concert Choir will perform "Marchin' to Freedom"(with the spiritual "Oh, Freedom") by Rollo A. Dilworth; "Ose Shalom" (The One who Makes Peace) by John Leavitt; "Inscription of Hope," text by Z. Randall Stroope and from an inscription on the walls of a cellar in Cologne, Germany, music by Stroope; "Birdsong," text by an unknown child in the Terezin Concentration Camp, music by Paul Read; and "Duet" from Cantata No. 15 ("Laughing and Shouting for Joy") by J.S. Bach.
Jeffrey also will conduct the Chamber Choir as they perform " In the Time of Silver Rain" text by Langston Hughes and music by Victor C. Johnson; "Wana Baraka," a traditional Kenyan folk song, arranged by Shawn Kirchner; and "Laudamus Te" from "Gloria" by Antonio Vivaldi.
Under the direction of Lisa Bettcher, the Treble Choir will perform "Little Innocent Lamb," an African-American spiritual arranged by Ken Berg; "Down in the Red River Valley," a bluegrass tune, arranged by William L. Ballenger; and "Let There Be Song" by Dave and Jean Perry.
Elizabeth Ellis will direct the Intermezzo Choir as they perform "Follow the Drinking Gourd," a traditional spiritual tied to the Underground Railroad, arranged by Rollo A. Dilworth; "Route 66," highlighting the freedom of the road, music and text by Bobby Troup; " The Swing" from "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson; and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" an American abolitionist song by Julia Ward Howe.
To purchase tickets, call the ECC ticket office at (847) 622-0300 or visit www.elgin.edu/arts. Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express are accepted. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for students. The ticket office is open 90 minutes before each performance.