Apollo Chorus to Perform Free Concert at St. John Cantius Church, 11/2

The Apollo Chorus will begin its 2014-2015 year with its 16th Annual free "Music in the Neighborhood" concert on Sunday, November 2 at 3:30 p.m. at St. John Cantius Church, 825 N. Carpenter St. The concert will be an electrifying preview of the upcoming season, showcasing beautiful works by composers including Handel, Schubert and Lauridsen.

While listening to music by some of history's most prolific composers, audiences will enjoy the breathtaking Baroque design of St. John Cantius Church, an ornate architectural gem originally built in 1898. The Apollo Chorus will perform with the magnificently restored organ in the church, which was recently featured as part of the Chicago Architecture Foundation's "Open House Chicago." The free "Music in the Neighborhood" concert continues an annual Apollo Chorus tradition of performing in historic locations in diverse neighborhoods throughout the Windy City.

The music continues in December with two performances of what has become a renowned Chicago tradition: Apollo Chorus's signature rendition of the classic piece, Handel's Messiah, on Saturday, December 6 at 3:00 p.m. at Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., and Saturday, December 20 at 3:00 p.m. at Harris Theater for Music & Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive. Britten's Simple Symphony, Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna and Schubert's Mass in A-flat will be performed Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at University of Chicago's stunning Rockefeller Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. The exhilarating season finale Spring Concert, International Voices, will take place Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut Street, and Sunday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m. at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Rd. in Elmhurst.

The Apollo Chorus is Chicago's oldest musical organization, founded in 1872 in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, performing preeminent choral works at premier venues. Newcity raves that "Alltop's unbroken track record for training his chorus to express such varieties of style and color rivals any other in the city!" Its approximately 120 auditioned members include men and women of all ages, races, and backgrounds brought together by their love of music. The Apollo Chorus has performed at notable historic events, such as the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the Century of Progress International Exposition, the opening of Medinah Temple, the opening of Orchestra Hall (Apollo was considered the official chorus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra prior to the formation of the Symphony Chorus), the opening of Navy Pier, and the "Oprah Surprise Spectacular." The chorus will also perform this year at the 125th Anniversary Gala of the Auditorium Theatre on Dec. 9, 2014 with a rousing rendition of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from the iconic musical, LES MISERABLES, which they also performed at the 1889 opening. The Apollo Chorus continually strives to advance musically and to share the power, beauty and majesty of choral music by presenting concerts and educational programs for diverse communities throughout Chicago and beyond.

Experience "Music in the Neighborhood" for free; no tickets are necessary. Season subscriptions are $100. For further information, individual tickets, or to book a group, call 312.427.5620 or visit www.apollochorus.org.

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