Naperville Chorus 33rd year

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What's New
  • The soloists for Elijah have been added. Bios will be added shortly. Details for the concert can be found here.
  • Marco Peña has created a pronunciation guide for the Spanish in Navidad Nuestraand Wes Ague has recorded him. You may find mp3's with the pronunciation in the "Chorus Members Only" section.
  • Map to Wentz Hall is here. We will start rehearsal there on October 13th. Remember to start bringing your Elijah score to rehearsal
  • Sept 15, 2008 The Fall concert will be December 13,2008 and will consist of Ariel Ramírez' Navidad Nuestra and music appropriate for the season. Details for the concert can be found here. As we have performed this piece previously, you may check the notes. The libretto can be found here and a pdf can be downloaded here.
  • Letter from President Sigel for the start of the Fall 2008 season. (pdf)
  • Rehearsals will start at Our Saviour Lutheran Church at 815 S Washington in Naperville and will move to Wentz Hall on October 13th when we will begin rehearsals there. Information about joining the Naperville Chorus. can be found by selecting the "Join the Chorus" in the menu to the left. Information about the 2008-2009 season can be found here.
  • Mar 25, 2008 The tentative schedule for 2008-2009 have been added to the Chorus Calendar section

Please let me know if you encounter any broken links or experience other problems with the website. Any comments on this page should be addressed to chorus@napervillechorus.org. (updated Wednesday, November 19, 2008 )

The 2008-2009 concert season

The Fall Concert will be at 8:00 pm on December 13, 2008 at Wentz Hall, 171 E. Chicago, on the North Central Campus in Naperville. This fall the Chorus will be presenting Ariel Ramírez' Navidad Nuestra, a piece that includes a small pagent and a selection of folk instruments. The remainder of the program will include music from the late Renaissance to the late 20th century, sacred and secular, serious and humorous.

We will present Elijah in cooperation with Downers Grove Choral Society on February 21st and 22nd 2009will be presented at 8:00 pm. The Concert will be conducted by famous operatic baritone and Downers Grove native, Sherill Milnes. The soloists will be Paul Grizzell as Elijah, Natalie Mann, Soprano, Denise Gamez, Mezzo-Soprano, Carlos Menoyo, Tenor, and Luke Frees, Boy Soprano.

On May 16, 2009 we will present a concert of lighter music.

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Singing with the Naperville Chorus


Rehearsals for the spring season on January 5th, 2009 at the new Wentz Hall, 171 E. Chicago on the North Central Campus (map shows the auditorium, the rehearsal entrance and the parking garage). If the dates seem to be out-of-date for the start of rehearsal, it is probably due to the laziness of the webperson. In general, chorus rehearsals begin the first Monday after Labor Day for the fall season and the first Monday after New Years for the spring season. All are welcome to sing with the chorus. There are no auditions. This is an adult chorus and you are expected to know when you are ready for a concert. If you are interested in singing and would like to be reminded when the season will start, or would just like information about the chorus, please e-mail us at info@NapervilleChorus.org or use our web-email form. Registration will begin at approximately 7:00 on January 5th for the start of the fall season and will continue until rehearsal at 7:30. Rehearsals are every Monday from 7:30 - 9:30 PM. For more details or if you cannot make the first rehearsal please send an e-mail message to chorus@napervillechorus.org or call Joan Long (630) 369-2609.

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About the Naperville Chorus

The Naperville Chorus presents two major concerts each year, one in the fall/winter holiday season and one in the spring. The Chorus was founded in 1976 (see history). Recent performances of the Chorus have included baroque music such as Bach's Magnificat, Handel's Messiah and Vivaldi's Gloria, and lighter music such as Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury and Pirates of Penzance (excerpts) and selections fromDie Fledermaus and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It has also performed 20th century music such as Honegger's King David, Gian Carlo Menotti's Bishop of Brindisi and Ramirez' Misa Criolla. We combined forces with the Downers Grove Choral Society to present Israel in Egypt and have combined with the DuPage Symphony to present Russian Opera Choruses and Beethovan's Ninth Symphony (also with the Downers Grove Choral Society).

The Chorus has been fortunate to have Jeordano Martínez as conductor. This year Jon Warfel returns as assistant director. As of the fall of 2007, Ross Berkley is director of the Chamber Singers. We are fortunate to have (again) Barbara Vanderwall as our accompanist. We are not quite sure how we keep getting her back after she decides that we are too much work, but we don't question a wonderful thing! We also have a very competent Board of Directors.

Music is important to the entire group, but we do have fun also. Monthly "treat nights" have included unusual theme cakes, among the latest is based on the Poulenc Gloria and part of the Many Moods of Christmas.

We would like to acknowledge the Illinois Arts Council , a state of Illinois agency and the Target Foundation for their support. In the past we have received support from the DuPage Community Foundation.

If you would like to receive information about future concerts via e-mail, you can join our e-mail list. Just transfer to our join the e-mail list page.

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Photo Gallery


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Naperville Chamber Singers

The Naperville Chamber Singers were formed in 1994 to sing smaller pieces and for smaller groups. Ross Berkley is responsible for the chamber singers. They have sung for community groups, at Naper Settlement as well as presenting a bi-annual concert. If you are interested in having the Chamber Singers perform for your group or are interested in auditioning for the chamber singers, please e-mail rberkley@naperville203.org.

Upcoming performances include:
Sunday, December 2, 2007 3:30 pm
Artists' Performing Showcase A collection of Dance, Music and Theatre presented by the Faculty and Students of The School of Performing Arts. With special guest “Naperville Chorus Chamber Singers”. Pfeiffer Hall, North Central College Tickets on sale November 12th at the Naperville and Plainfield offices. Adults: $12 in advance $14 at the door Students: $6.00 in advance $8.00 at the door
December 9th; 4pm
Naperville Chorus Chamber Singers Ross Berkley, Conductor Winter Invitational with The Young Naperville Singers Chamber Singers Angie Johnson, Conductor. First Congregational Church 25 E. Benton Ave Naperville, IL 60540 Adults $8 Children/Seniors/Students $6 Tickets available at the door Featuring works by Rutter, Vivaldi and Victoria and Bob Chilcott's "Little Jazz Mass"

Note, all files are mp3 files. They were created from 22 khz mono files using the Lame converter at 64 khz bitrate (and thus are not high fidelity). They were made from digital recordings either by R/J Recording or CDJ Recording and are from live concerts with the spontaneity and the imperfections that such recordings give.


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Program notes from previous concerts

Some of the program notes that appeared in our programs had to be shortened to fit in the space available. The long version of the program notes are given here. Listed in alphabetical order by composer. If you would like to use the program notes, we would request that you acknowledge the author, the Naperville Chorus and let us know. We like to know that these materials are of use!

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Miscellania

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Naperville Chorus
P.O. Box 51
Naperville, IL 60566
Last Modified Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Charles D. Jonah chorus@napervillechorus.org