Wicker Park Choral Singers Present Star of Wonder

Thirty-nine of Chicago's finest singers directed by Mark Tomasino with organist Lyle Harlow filled Wicker Park Lutheran Church with "Brilliant Light" as they ushered in the Holiday Season last Saturday afternoon.

To a packed sanctuary, singers presented Star of Wonder, a themed program incorporating the works of fourteen composers who lived and wrote between 1505 to present day including Palestrina, Tallis, Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Leighton, and Whitacre. The fifteen compositions were expertly crafted into a well paced musical event worthy of the finest venue.

Dedicated to making world-class choral music accessible to the community free of charge, the quality of the ensemble performance and the soloists featured in the compositions were excellent throughout: Joan Cinquegrani (soprano - Leighton), Jacob Christopher (tenor - Rachmaninoff), Jamie Simone (soprano - Whitacre), Eric Brummitt (baritone - Rutter).

Various aspects of the historic as well as the religious meanings of the word 'light' were revealed in the musical compositions that spanned a 500 year period: light as an aspect of glory, light and the process of salvation, the relationship between light and truth, light as wisdom and intellect, light as a source of freedom, light's ability to generate more light.

As an audience member, listening to Tomasino's superb interpretations of these compositions and his chorus' exceptional performance skills, you actually did obtain an historic transcendent experience. For a time, you escaped your current day's hectic, cell phone, over scheduled life darkened by a world wide economic recession.

I say, excellent job - Wicker Park Choral Singers - to do that is incredible and really difficult. Since their first performance in 2008, Mark Tomasino and his chorus have moved their audiences at every one of their performances.

In addition to the thirty-nine singers on stage, the entire audience was asked to sing with them on several of the musical compositions. This aspect of the overall design of the performance combined with the movement of the singers around the sanctuary during various works, added to the celebratory and all encompassing aspects of the "light" inherent the music and the season. Each audience member was actually enveloped in the sound that was emitting the historic composer's sense of "light."

My favorite composition was Lux Aurumque (Light and Gold) by Eric Whitacre (b.1970) that featured Jamie Simone, soprano, singing above the transcendent, environment laid out for her by the entire chorus. The text by Edward Esch was translated to Latin by Charles Anthony Silvestri. The words of the composition slowly emerge from layer upon layer of ethereal tones that create infinitely long, almost transparent, phrases that are leading us to and out from the gold and the light: "Light, warm and heavy a pure gold and angels sing softly to the new-born baby." The result: you take some light home with you and want to hear the music again and again.

Eric Whitacre's "Virtual Choir" performance of Lux Aurumque was created from 185 volunteer voices from 12 countries. The work is available on You Tube showing the faces of the singers on a "virtual stage" with Whitacre conducting. You get "some light" into these dark Winter days by listening to Whitacre's work.

Next performance: Caroling at Cloud Gate - Fri., Dec. 17, 6 - 6:50 p.m., Millennium Park, Chase Promenade Central

Put Wicker Park Choral Singers on your must hear list. Visit their website for more information.

Auditions: Wicker Park Choral Singers is always interested in hearing form new and talented singers. Please contact Angela Latkowski.

The group rehearses and performs at Wicker Park Lutheran, 2112 West LeMoyne Ave.