Chorus fundraiser has Hawaiian theme

Members of the Harper Festival Chorus are bracing themselves for a busy performance schedule in May, with three major concerts in less than a week.

Yet, on Sunday, they took time to play. Hawaiian music, that is.

At their spring fundraiser, held at the Meridian Banquets in Rolling Meadows, chorus members and their guests gathered for an auction and five-course dinner, all set to the background of exotic Hawaiian flowers and island music.

"We work really hard all semester, in rehearsing for our concerts, but we also like to have fun," says Kelly Wehrung of Bartlett, ways and means chairman for the chorus, who organized the dinner.

Chorus treasurer Mike Rose estimates they raised $10,000 from the dinner, which will be earmarked toward their annual budget, aimed at funding the cost of hiring a full orchestra and professional soloists for their concerts.

"We're thrilled to be able to raise that much, particularly this year when our funding has been cut by the Illinois Arts Council," Wehrung said.

The Festival Chorus dates its history back 45 years, of which they have partnered with Harper College for the last 30. They have performed under the direction of Edwin Kemp, former assistant director and now director for the last 12 years.

He will lead them in their regular spring concert at 3 p.m. May 4, when they perform Brahm's Requiem, as well as a series of patriotic pieces, all with a full orchestra and professional soloists, in Harper's new Performing Arts Center.

The next weekend, they will be sharing the stage with all of Harper's choral groups and orchestra, in performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony, in celebration of the college's 40th anniversary in Palatine.

Concerts take place at 7:30 p.m. May 9 and 10, in the state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center.

"We've got our work cut out for us with these back-to-back concerts," Kemp says, "but it will be a slam-bang finish."