Elgin, Illinois, September 12, 2023 – Elgin Master Chorale (EMC), a cultural cornerstone of Elgin and the Fox Valley, is pleased to introduce for its 77^th season an exquisite blend of traditional and contemporary works ensuring there's something for everyone to enjoy. With 20 new members, recently admitted by audition, the ranks of the Chorale swell to over 100 members increasing the thrilling emotional impact of performances for audiences.

The 2023-24 season opens on Sunday, November 12, 2023, 3:30 p.m. at the Elgin Community College’s Blizzard Theatre with Beethoven’s Mass in C Major. The mass was Beethoven’s first, and it was not initially appreciated for its ground-breaking approach as it was simpler and humbler than the grander Viennese model of the time. 

On the same program, the Chorale presents Credo by Black composer and pianist Margaret Bonds. Inspired by the text of W.E.B. Du Bois, it showcases the composer’s mastery of blending Western classical and spiritual traditions in an organic and original way.

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra accompanies the Chorale in both program segments. Tickets are available through the ECC Arts Center or by calling the ECC Box Office at 847-622-0300. 

Saturday and Sunday, December 9 and 10, 2023, finds EMC joining the Elgin Symphony Orchestra for their “Holiday Spectacular" concert at the Hemmens Center in Elgin. The concert features favorite seasonal music that is sure to delight the whole family. An additional performance will take place at the Raue Center in Crystal Lake on Friday, December 8. Visit the ESO website and the Raue Center website for more information and to purchase tickets.

On April 12, 2024, 3:30 p.m., EMC returns to the ECC’s Blizzard Theatre to present Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. This heart-warming and celebratory work is full of Rossinian quirks and bursting with humor, charm, and sincerity, scored modestly for choir, two pianos and harmonium. Tickets are available through the ECC Arts Center or by calling the ECC Box Office at 847-622-0300. 

In their last performance of the season, EMC joins the Elgin Symphony Orchestra for a grand performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. This work, Beethoven’s final complete symphony, is widely viewed as his greatest composition and represents an important stylistic bridge between the Classical and Romantic periods of Western music history. This program also features Mozart’s Ave verum corpus and Jessie Montgomery’s Hymn for Everyone. Performances will be on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, 2024 at the Hemmens Center. Visit the ESO website for more information and to purchase tickets.

To learn more about EMC, visit ElginMasterChorale.org.