Lenten Concert Series kicks off March 1 at First Congregational
First Congregational’s annual Lenten Concert Series will kick off Sunday, March 1, with a performance by husband and wife duo, organist Christopher Powell and mezzo-soprano Demi VanderWerff.
The couple will present a program including a variety of music drawn from multiple time periods. Featuring organ works, classical music for voice, and even jazz, the couple have crafted an evening of music with something for everyone. VanderWerff’s talents as a singer vary from classical styles such as opera, oratorio, and art song, to more contemporary genres such as musical theater, folk, and jazz.
Across the Chicago area, she can be found acting on stage and in film, and singing jazz with her husband as the in-house duo at Cellar 26. Christopher is a Chicago-based musician specializing in organ, piano, composition, and jazz. Powell is the director of sacred music and organist at the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Marytown in Libertyville, and the organist of North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe.
The following concert on March 15 will feature Flannau Duo with Quijote Duo, re-creating their “Hammer & Bow” program from this past year’s Ear Taxi Festival in Chicago.
The program brings together viola, cello, piano, and percussion in a unique exploration of co-creation and unifying musical forces. The concert features premieres of new compositions by Jorge Amado, Ben Zucker, and Sixto Franco. This program explores many esthetics and moods, catering to a wide variety of listeners.
The Flannau Duo — pianist Jonathan Hannau and Kyle Flens on percussion — is a new ensemble combining piano, percussion, electronics, improvisation, and absurdism. Quijote Duo, based out of New Orleans, is formed by New Music specialists and chamber music enthusiasts, cellist Juan Horie and violist Sixto Franco, a formation that strives to create spaces for innovation and experimentation through collaboration.
The third and final concert on March 29 will feature the KAIA String Quartet presenting a Latin American Celebration from North to South with works by Laura Chávez-Blanco, Sonia Morales-Matos, Efraín Amaya, and more.
From the tango of the Rio de La Plata to the string quartets of Silvestre Revueltas, the KAIA String Quartet is an ensemble devoted to promoting the rich and colorful music of Latin America. The Quartet plays an active role in Chicago's music scene and has performed at the Chicago Latino Music Festival, the Ear Taxi Festival, and Chamber Music on the Fox. Members are Victoria Moreira, violin I, Naomi Culp, violin II, James Kang, viola, and Hope DeCelle, cello.
All concerts are at 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 256 E Chicago St. in Elgin. Tickets are $10 general admission and are available online at fcc-elgin.square.site/ or at the door. Ample street, surface, and handicap-accessible parking are available. For more information or to support the concert series with a donation, contact the church office at (847) 741-4045.