Craig Hella Johnson to Guest Conduct St. Charles Singers, 3/7-8

Grammy Award-winning choral director Craig Hella Johnson will guest conduct the St. Charles Singers in a concert program titled "Inspired" at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at St. Michael Catholic Church, 310 S. Wheaton Ave., Wheaton; and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles.

Johnson, who will make his St. Charles Singers conducting debut, is founder and artistic director of Conspirare, the Austin, Texas, based professional choral ensemble that earned the 2015 Grammy for Best Choral Performance.

This will be a rare Chicago-area sighting for the acclaimed choirmaster, whose last area appearance was in 2001.

"I consider it a great privilege to be a guest conductor for this series with the St. Charles Singers," Johnson says. "I have long known of their distinctive reputation, and it will be a joy to work with these singers and their founder and artistic director Jeffrey Hunt. The St. Charles Singers' level of dedication to the choral art is inspirational and their openness to exploring a broad repertoire is exciting."

Hunt says Johnson selected works for the program that he finds personally inspiring and which he's eager to share with the choir and its fans.

Some songs are infused with American roots music. All of them are new to the St. Charles Singers, as are most of the composers, Hunt says.

Anchoring the "Inspired" program is Dominick Argento's "Walden Pond" (1996), a virtuosic and evocative five-movement work for mixed choir, three cellos, and harp. The text is from Henry David Thoreau's "Walden," a meditation on nature and self-reliance. "I consider this to be an extraordinarily special work," Johnson says.

The words to "Why the Caged Bird Sings," by Jake Runestad, come from a poem by celebrated African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, whose parents were freed slaves from Kentucky. Johnson conducted the song's world premiere in 2014 with Cincinnati's Vocal Arts Ensemble. He says the piece is "dramatic and intense and leads to a sublime concluding vision."

The earliest work on the program, J. S. Bach's "Lobe den Herrn" (Praise the Lord), "can delight any listener" with its playfulness and exuberance, Johnson says.

The mixed-voice professional chamber choir, now in its 31st concert season, will also perform the following works under Johnson's direction:
•"Beautiful River," arranged by William Hawley
•"At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners," by Williametta Spencer
•"All My Trials," arranged by Norman Luboff
•"Hard Times," by Stephen Foster, arranged by Craig Hella Johnson

•"I Dream a World," by Dan Welcher
•"Bright Morning Stars" and "Unclouded Day," arranged by Shawn Kirchner

In addition to his work with Conspirare, Johnson is artistic director of the Victoria Bach Festival and music director of the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble. He also served as artistic director of San Francisco-based Chanticleer. The Wall Street Journal has praised Johnson's ability to "find the emotional essence other performers often miss."

'Inspired' Singers

St. Charles Singers ensemble artists performing in the March concerts include sopranos Jeanne Fornari of Batavia, Jen Haseltine of Campton Hills, Ingrid Burrichter of Chicago, Olivia Flanigan of Elgin, Jennifer Mamminga of Geneva, Cynthia Spiegel of La Fox, Laura Johnson of Hanover Park, AnDrea James of St. Charles, Suzanna Mathews of Wheaton, and Karen Lukose of Winfield.

Altos include Sarah Underhill of Aurora, Margaret Fox and Valerie Heinkel-Bollero of Batavia, Amanda Brex-Castillo of Cary, Bethany Nelson of Crystal Lake, Julie Popplewell of North Aurora, Jennifer Hunt of St. Charles, and Debby Wilder of Wheeling.

Tenors are Gregor King of Batavia, Rob Campbell and Bryan Kunstman of DeKalb, Bradley Staker of Elburn, Ellery Kline of St. Charles, David Hunt of Wayne, Steve Williamson of West Chicago, and Bob Boyd of Westmont.

The bass section includes Phil Nohl and Michael Thoms of Aurora, Doug Peters of Batavia, Anthony Quaranta of Carol Stream, Nate Coon of Crystal Lake, David Hartley of Lake in the Hills, Ernie Klapmeier and Mike Popplewell of North Aurora, and Drayton Eggleston of Sycamore.

Tickets and Information

Single tickets for the March "Inspired" concerts are $35 adult general admission, $30 for seniors 65 and older, and $10 for students.

Tickets and general information about the St. Charles Singers are available at www.stcharlessingers.com or by calling (630) 513-5272. Tickets are also available at Townhouse Books, 105 N. Second Ave., St. Charles (checks or cash only at this ticket venue). Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the day of the concert, depending on availability. Group discounts are available.


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