The Shedd Choral Society is a repertoire reading ensemble, focusing on great Western choral music in a traditional setting. Led by Shedd faculty member Amy Adams and accompanied by Bruce Haines, the ensemble explores works by Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Handel, and many others. Non-auditioned and open to adult choral musicians at any level, rehearsals focus on learning choral parts and conclude with an informal performance that is free and open to the public.
Johann Pachabel's Magnificat in D Major
4 songs by William Billings: "Aurora", "Philadelphia", "I Am the Rose of Sharon" & "Chester"
In a concert that could be described as "Choral Music From the Old World and the New World," the Shedd Choral Society presents Johann Pachelbel's "Magnificat" in D Major and four songs of America's first great classical composer, William Billings.
Pachelbel's Canon in D is a staple of weddings today, but Johann Pachabel (1653-1706) was in his day famous as an organist and teacher. His great chorale preludes were influential for composers like Buxtehude and Bach. His setting of the Magnificat is a joyous and splendid work of Baroque music.
And in a young America, William Billings (1746-1800) wrote commanding, lively hymns and anthems in church music, invigorating what were then rather stern and grave hymns. He formed singing schools composed throughout his life, and left us with one of western music's greatest canons: "When Jesus Wept." His anthem "Chester" rivaled "Yankee Doodle" in popularity. Billings' tunes are the roots of American music: fresh, poignant, bracing and durable.
Johannes Brahms Sechs Lieder und Romanzen, Opus 93a
The Shedd Choral Society explores Johannes Brahms’s Six Songs and Romances, Opus 93a -- evidence of the Romantic composer's musical range. His choral writing is solid, skillful, and sentimentally German masterworks.
1. Der bucklichte Fiedler
2. Das Mädchen
3. O süßer Mai!
4. Fahr’ wohl!
5. Der Falke
6. Beherzigung
Charles Villiers Stanford's Six Irish Folksongs, Opus 78
The Shedd Choral Society performs Charles Villiers Stanford's Six Irish Folksongs, Opus 78.
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) was an Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor. Among his students were rising composers whose fame went on to surpass his own, such as Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams. His music reflects the late 19th-century Romantic style, into which he introduced elements of Irish folk song, contributing to his enduring appeal.
1. “Oh! Breathe not his name”
2. “What the bee is to the flow'ret”
3. “At the mid hour of night”
4. “The Sword of Erin”
5. “It is not the tear”
6. “Oh the sight entrancing”