Oak Park Concert Chorale Presents a Baroque Festival celebrating 30th Anniversary

March 16th, 2011

The Oak Park Concert Chorale (OPCC), led by director Paul Lindblad, will present a Baroque Festival on Sunday April 3 at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 W. Division Street in River Forest. The Baroque Festival consists of three concerts and a light supper.

The Festival commences at 4:15pm with a Madrigal Concert, followed by a Light Supper at 5:00pm. The Festival continues at 6:00pm with the North American Premiere of Antonio Lotti’s Missa Sancti Christophori, and concludes with a Baroque Masterpieces Concert at 6:45pm and Champagne Reception. General Admission is $35 and includes all three concerts and the light supper; Seniors/Students are $25. Other packages include the Lotti Premiere and Baroque Masterpieces Concerts for $25, Students/Seniors $20. Advance Reservations are required for the Light Supper.

To order tickets, call 708-383-4742, email info@OakParkConcertChorale.org or visit our website at www.OakParkConcertChorale.org. Join OPCC’s 30th Anniversary celebration!

Our Baroque Festival consists of three concerts, highlighting different aspects of Baroque choral music. A light supper will be served between concerts (advance reservations required), and the evening will conclude with a Champagne Reception. O Musica by Paul Peuerl has become a keynote theme of the Chorale. This and other works from our rich tradition will be featured when the Chorale is joined by a choir of alumni as part of the Madrigal Concert. The 18th century Venetian composer, Antonio Lotti, is almost universally known for one piece of sacred choral music: his Crucifixus for 8 voices. Following new research, it has been discovered that this motet is in fact a section of a complete mass for choir, soloists and orchestra – the Missa Sancti Christophori. The centerpiece of our festival will be the North American Premiere of this exciting masterpiece. The rarely performed triple choir Magnificat Anima Mea by Henrich Schütz is the jewel of our third concert. The finale, George Fredric Handel’s rousing Coronation Anthem Number One: Zadok the Priest , is a fitting tribute to this festive occasion. Along with a Festival Orchestra, OPCC will be joined by exceptional soloists, Susan Krout, soprano, Alison Daigle, mezzo-sporano, Willard Thomen, tenor, and Jeff Ray, bass. OPCC Alumni Andrew Schaeffer, a senior music major at St. Olaf College in Northfield MN, will showcase organ music of Baroque composer Georg Böhm. And Yollanda Bornhoff, the Minister of Music at United Lutheran Church in Oak Park will play the harpsichord.

The Oak Park Concert Chorale invites you to an enchanting evening of magnificent choral music as we celebrate this triumphant milestone in OPCC history!

About Oak Park Concert Chorale

One of the Midwest’s leading choral ensembles featuring both a cappella and accompanied performances. The Chorale is comprised of a diverse group of individuals and performs in and around Oak Park, Illinois. Led by Director Paul Lindblad, the Chorale offers highly artistic performances of varied and exciting choral music.

About Paul Lindblad

Paul Lindblad received his undergraduate degree in Music Education and a Master’s Degree in Church Music from Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois. Mr. Lindblad earned a Kodály Certificate from Silver Lake College, Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He has studied with Paul Christiansen, world famous choral conductor; and Katinka Daniel, International Kodály music education specialist. Mr. Lindblad has done extensive studies in organ performance, vocal technique, and conducting under the mentorships of Victor Hildner and Douglas Neslund. In addition to conducting OPCC, Mr. Lindblad is the Director of Liturgics at St. John Lutheran Church in Forest Park, the music teacher at Walther Luther Academy in Forest Park, is the former Choirmaster at St. Gregory Episcopal Boychoir School in Chicago, and directed Paul Lindblad Choristers (now St. John Choristers) for 20 years.

The Oak Park Concert Chorale, a 501 (C) 3 not for profit organization, is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and is partially funded by the Oak Park Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Villages of Oak Park, Forest Park and River Forest, and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.