The Elgin Symphony Orchestra continues its 76th Season Classics Series with a program of powerful choral music and theatrical drama on Saturday, March 7, at 7:30pm, and Sunday, March 8, at 2:30pm, at The Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin.
Led by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman, the orchestra is joined by the Elgin Master Chorale and guest vocalists Laura Strickling, soprano, and Jesse Blumberg, baritone, for a moving and multifaceted program featuring works by Valerie Coleman, Edvard Grieg, and Gabriel Fauré. It is Strickling’s second performance with the ESO, her first being in May 2024 when she joined the orchestra in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth.
The concert opens with Coleman’s invigorating “Seven O’Clock Shout,” written during the COVID-19 pandemic as a tribute to frontline workers and the power of community. It continues with a special performance of handpicked selections from Edvard Grieg’s evocative music from “Peer Gynt”. The centerpiece of the evening is Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem,” a serene and transcendent setting of the mass that offers comfort and peace in its vision of eternal rest.
The Elgin Master Chorale, long-time collaborators with the ESO, brings its signature blend of clarity, power, and expressivity to this deeply spiritual program.
A Pre-Concert Talk by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman will take place one-hour prior to each concert.
Tickets are available at ElginSymphony.org.
