Chorus Gets New Concert Dress

Magic of the Season dress rehearsal

The Touring Chorus debuted their new concert dress at the holiday concert Magic of the Season. Gone were the red/gold vests and tuxedo shirts and in their place was a rainbow of tunics which lit up the stage. These new festive shirts are versatile too! They can be worn buttoned up for a more formal look and open over a t-shirt for a more casual look.

Originally conceived of by Emily, she involved the choristers in  choosing the style and the colors. Leslie Morgan, Program Administrator, then went to work to make this happen, choosing the fabrics, purchasing all of the supplies and collaborating with the seamstresses who made the shirts.

Alumni News-Randy Knott

Randy Knott on stage

Meet Randy Knott. We lost track of Randy quite some time ago and have just found both him and his 2 siblings (Cindy and Michelle), all of whom were in the Chorus in the late 70s and early 80s. Randy participated in the Chorus' first tour overseas to England. He performed at Carnegie Hall and was part of the group that recorded the Grammy Award winning "Damnation of Faust". Randy also got to present Georg Solti with a birthday present from the Chorus, in his dressing room. His memories of the Chorus are still fresh and very special to him

Randy is married to Amy, has a 9 month old son Barrett, and lives in Montgomery, Illinois where he can occasionally be seen paddling his kayak on the Fox River and singing to the geese. A construction project manager by day, Randy is an aspiring actor by night. He is currently performing in a play at the First Street Playhouse in Batavia, IL. The play closes on 2/4/06 so if you want to catch Randy get your tickets now!

December's Magic of the Season has come and gone...what fun we had with guest artist Mike Folker weaving magical illusions in and around the beautiful singing of so many young artists.

January brings new beginnings each season. This week we're welcoming new members of MEC, Treble and Concert Chorus and all the ensembles are delving into new music. New music = new challenges. Perhaps current chorister Katie Nyenhuis says it best "I love the feeling of getting new music, looking through the pages with the knowledge that I will know this piece, this current stranger, before very long. Sometimes that knowledge is greeted by a groan, but most often it is greeted by overwhelming excitement and (nearly) uncontainable desire."  Thanks Kate!

Emily Ellsworth