In a few short weeks, Chicago a cappella will take to the stage with the program we call "Romanticism and Rock'n'Roll."
Okay, now you're wondering: what the heck is that?
I was asked that same question a few years ago, when I had created a program called "Baroque and Beatles." That program was only a concept when I went to a board meeting a few months before the concert. Tom Huyck from the board asked me, "Jonathan, what in the world is that concert going to be like?" I described it as best I could, which was still mostly conceptual, since the program hadn't yet been created, and he responded with something like "Huh."
Of course, "B&B" has gone on to become one of our most popular programs, a favorite on our tours and one that the singers love. In fact, it's because of "B&B" that "R&R&R" exists. Here's what happened:
It was at Bradley University in Peoria that we were singing "Baroque and Beatles" on tour, in a fabulous concert hall that reminded me closely of the Music Institute in Chicago. (In fact, both spaces began their lives as Christian Science churches, and if anyone can confirm whether or not they had the same architect, I'd appreciate knowing about it.)
One of the reasons we got to Bradley on tour is that John Jost is a fan. John is the Director of Choral Activities at Bradley, which means he knows a lot of repertoire and has been influential in the music scene in Peoria. He helped me fine-tune our standing arrangements during the pre-concert warmup, such as and hung around in the wings general being helpful. He's a great guy.
After the concert, we went out into the foyer, where our CD sales were doing a brisk business and we got to talk with the people who had enjoyed the show. John was beaming, grinning from ear to ear.
"Wow, that was great!" he said. "What are you going to do next -- Romanticism and rock-n-roll?"
I jumped on the idea: "Are you serious?"
"Sure," he said. "Sing some of those English romantic partsongs and some doo-wop, and you've got a great program."
So that turned into the concert we're about to debut. It was harder than I expected to flesh it out -- I needed a lot of help from Patrick Sinozich, our brilliant music director. As part of the program creation, Patrick suggested turning the first half into a "battle of the sexes" -- with the women singing demure, 19th-century music, and the guys playing the street-corner doo-wop singers with great arrangements of tunes from the 1950s. Come hear the concerts and you'll get the whole score, so to speak -- www.chicagoacappella.org is the place to order tickets and get sound clips.
Have a great week!
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