Skokie Concert Choir gets underway for fall season

The Skokie Concert Choir is welcoming people who like to sing in the car with the windows rolled up to get out of the vehicle and join their camaraderie, music and preparations for two performances this season.  

Ben Gray, who became artistic director in 2022, emphasized that the group doesn’t require singers to audition, nor does it require them to read music.

“I view it as an opportunity for us all to work together towards a common goal of creating beautiful music,” said Gray, of Highland Park.

Singers are welcome to attend the group’s first rehearsal of the season, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at Oakton Community Center, 4701 Oakton St. in Skokie.

The group, which was formed in 1986, rehearses every Monday evening in preparation for a Jan. 18 performance at Devonshire Playhouse, 4400 Greenwood in Skokie.

Singers come from Evanston, Morton Grove, Niles, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Oak Park, and other suburbs, as well as Chicago and Skokie.

There are usually around 40 singers each season who rehearse 12-15 songs for each concert at Devonshire Playhouse. For those concerts, tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children.

Adrian Metzger has been the accompanist for around 19 years. The teacher, recitalist, and accompanist won first place in the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation’s 2009 classical piano competition.

On Sept. 8, participants will sight read and sing through about half the music, Gray said. “The singers get an idea of what the music is like that they’re going to be working on for the next few months,” he said. “At the second rehearsal, we’ll sing the other half of the music.”

Because many of the singers don’t read music, they are each given MP3 files of all the music they will be singing.

In choosing the music for each concert, Gray uses several criteria.

“I have a general sense as to their ability level so I use that knowledge to guide me in terms of the difficulty level of the literature I select,” Gray said. “I also need to think about how the music will be received from an audience standpoint. I also like putting on pieces that I have done in the past, either conducting or singing.”

Gray added that he either selects pieces with a theme or—most of the time—a wide variety of music. The selection generally includes some traditional choral music, including pieces in foreign languages. “The second half of the concert is lighter music, which might include jazz, Broadway, music theater, or pop music,” he related.

Gray said selections at the Jan. 18 concert will include “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “All My Love” by the band Coldplay, James Taylor’s “Your Smiling Face,” and Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love,” among others.

Following the January concert, the group takes a four-week break, starting rehearsals again in late February in preparation for a June 14 concert.

New members can attend three rehearsals before they have to pay the fees, which are due in September and February at a rate of $185 per person or $275 for couples. Singers who want to contribute more can become a Supporting Member for $250; $375 for couples; or a Sustaining Member for $300; $450 for couples.

JoAnne Kempf, president of the choir’s eight-member board of directors, said the choir was started in 1986 by “a group of people who enjoyed singing and said, ‘Why don’t we start a group?’”

It was originally called the Skokie Community Chorus. Kempf believes the name change came in the early ‘90s.

The Skokie resident, who is an alto, is in her 20th year as a member of the choir. “I’ve been singing since eighth grade in various choirs,” she said.

Kempf became president of the board for the second time in January. Her responsibilities include keeping track of various activities, being the official signatory on documents, organizing the monthly board meetings, which are run on Zoom, and putting together the agendas.

The board includes a treasurer and the other members divide responsibilities including managing the website, creating the MP3 files for the singers, keeping in touch with the singers, and designing the concert programs, among other chores. “We all have multiple roles,” Kempf said.

She noted the Skokie Concert Choir was given the Award for Artistic Excellence in 2015 from the Skokie Fine Arts Commission.

Kempf praised the choir, declaring, “It’s welcoming to everybody. Some of my best friends are people I know from choir.” She is particularly looking forward to singing “Domine Ad Adjuvandum MC Sestina” by Martini at the January concert.

Gray spoke about the joy he gains from working with the Skokie Concert Choir each week.

“It’s one of the most enjoyable hour-and-a-half’s of my entire week,” he said. “Everyone is so happy to be there. Everyone is kind and welcoming. There’s a lot of laughs, a lot of fun.”

For more details, visit skokiechoir.org.

Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.