St. Charles Singers cap 40th season with world premiere of choral work by John Rutter
The critically acclaimed St. Charles Singers, led by founder and music director Jeffrey Hunt, will conclude its 40th anniversary season with concerts April 12-13 featuring the world premiere of a new work written for the ensemble by renowned English composer Sir John Rutter.
The mixed-voice chamber choir’s season-finale program, “The Passing of the Year,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave. in downtown St. Charles.
Scored for choir and harp, Rutter’s “Dancing Tree” is a suite of eight poems by Charles Causley, a celebrated 20th-century British poet whose writing embodies warmth, humor, and a deep concern for humanity.
“‘Dancing Tree’ will resonate with a wide audience, including choral connoisseurs and listeners new to the choral world,” Hunt said. “The music is quintessential John Rutter. It reflects his own heartfelt connection to nature and admiration for English folk music.
“You’ll hear intensely beautiful melodies that are very singable, amid a pleasing array of harmonies,” Hunt said. “Listeners who enjoy Rutter’s Christmas carols will love this piece.”
Rutter, who has guest conducted the St. Charles Singers on multiple occasions over the decades, recently received a British knighthood for his contributions to music.
The London Evening Standard praises him, stating: “For the infectiousness of his melodic invention and consummate craftsmanship, Rutter has few peers.” England’s Classic FM proclaims, “His rare melodic gift and captivating harmonic flair have combined in a series of unforgettable choral gems that have touched the hearts of millions around the globe.”
Another choral work with harp is Gabriel Fauré’s “Cantique de Jean Racine,” a charming setting of a French version of a medieval Latin hymn. “This has been a favorite of mine over the years,” Hunt said, “but it’s the first time we’ll be performing the arrangement with harp.”
Guest choristers
Joining the choir as guest choristers to celebrate its landmark season are soprano Michelle Areyzaga and baritone Evan Bravos. Both are accomplished professional singers who hail from the far western suburbs and have close ties to the St. Charles Singers.
Areyzaga, a former member of the St. Charles Singers, passed her audition for the choir while still a student at Kaneland High School in Maple Park, Illinois, and performed with the ensemble for a decade before embarking on a successful solo career.
Praised for her “radiant and all-encompassing soprano” (Chicago Tribune), Areyzaga is held in high regard throughout the United States and abroad for her “appealing, expressive soprano” (New York Times).
Areyzaga will solo in Kenneth Leighton’s a cappella “A Hymn of the Nativity,” which the choir performed when she was a member of the soprano section in the late 1980s and ‘90s.
A native of St. Charles, Bravos is a past recipient of a St. Charles Singers’ scholarship for graduating high school seniors. This will be his debut with the choir. He’s received critical acclaim for his “lovely lyric baritone” (Opera News) in artful interpretations of opera, oratorio and art song repertoire coast to coast.
Audiences will hear “Psalm 121” (“I will lift up mine eyes”) from Herbert Howells’ “Requiem,” a deeply moving work that’s never been heard in a St. Charles Singers concert. Baritone soloist will be choir member Douglas Peters.
‘Capstone concert’
Grammy-nominated American composer Jake Runestad’s “Cello Songs” was commissioned for the St. Charles Singers, which gave the world premiere in October 2021. It’s scored for choir, cello, and piano, with text by poet and librettist Todd Boss. The work’s four movements are named for the seasons of the year.
“We premiered ‘Cello Songs’ at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, when singers were still wearing face masks,” Hunt said. “We’re looking forward to performing this wonderful work without that encumbrance so everyone can be fully seen and heard.”
The choir will sing English Renaissance composer John Sheppard’s “Libera nos, salva nos,” which features soaring vocal lines against a tapestry of Gregorian chant.
The concert takes its title, “The Passing of the Year,” from British composer Jonathan Dove’s choral song cycle of the same name, scored for double choir and piano. Commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, the seven-movement work — the final piece on the program — traces a journey through the seasons using verses of prominent poets.
“It’s a very exciting work that requires virtuosic singing and piano playing,” Hunt said.
This will be the St. Charles Singers’ first performance of the piece.
“This capstone concert brings together passion, joy, deeply felt expression, and musical innovation,” Hunt said. “These are all aspects of what this choir strives to convey.”
Tickets and information
Single tickets to “The Passing of the Year” are $45, $40 for seniors, and $12 for students. Tickets are available at stcharlessingers.com or by calling 630-513-5272. Tickets are also available at Town House Books, 105 N. Second Ave., St. Charles (checks or cash only at this ticket venue). Admission may also be purchased at the door on the day of the concert, depending on availability.
Singers celebrating ‘The Passing of the Year’
St. Charles Singers ensemble members marking “The Passing of the Year” include sopranos Ingrid Burrichter and Chloe Hayes of Chicago; Marybeth Kurnat, DeKalb; Jessica Heinrich and Mary Kunstman, Elburn; Lydia Walsh-Rock, Forest Park; Laura Johnson, Hanover Park; Meredith Taylor Mollica, Naperville; and Cynthia Spiegel, St. Charles.
The alto section includes Margaret Fox, Batavia; Amy Bearden, Chicago; Nicole Tolentino, Glendale Heights; Jennifer Gingrich and Rachel Miller, Naperville; Bethany Brewer, Palos Heights; Debra Wilder, Vernon Hills; and Karen Archbold, Wheaton.
Tenors are Rob Campbell, DeKalb; Bryan Kunstman, Elburn; Nicholas Metzger, Elgin; Marcus Jansen, Geneva; Stephen Mollica, Naperville; Andy Jeffrey, St. Charles; Jonathan Cramer, Waukegan; David Hunt, Wayne; and Steve Williamson, West Chicago.
Bass singers are Brandon Fox, Batavia; Doug Peters, Chicago; Nate Coon and Brian Jozwiak, Crystal Lake; Jess Koehn, Downers Grove; Antonio Quaranta, River Grove; Aaron James, St. Charles; and Drayton Eggleson, Sycamore.
Instrumentalists are harpist Erin Freund, cellist Jean Hatmaker, and pianist Stephen Uhl.
In Brief: St. Charles Singers
Founded and directed by Jeffrey Hunt, the St. Charles Singers is a chamber choir dedicated to choral music in all its forms. Hailed by American Record Guide as “a national treasure,” the mixed-voice ensemble, formed in 1984, includes professional singers, choral directors, and voice instructors, some of whom perform with other top-tier Chicago choirs. Choral Journal says, “They sing with versatile musicality, vibrant tone, and impeccable diction.” Classics Today has called the ensemble “one of North America’s outstanding choirs,” citing “charisma and top-notch musicianship” that “bring character and excitement to each piece.” Find out more at stcharlessingers.com.