In his first conducting appearance since being named Music of the Baroque’s chorus director, Megill leads a mix of joyful carols, solemn chant, and jubilant works for brass from the Medieval era to the 20th century.
“We are thrilled that eminent conductor Andrew Megill will lead these concerts after his critically acclaimed debut last year,” commented Executive Director Declan McGovern. “His work with the chorus this year has been stellar, and the exquisite program he has compiled covers every facet of the holiday season, from contemplation to celebration.”
The program for all four concerts will include the following works:
A Spotless Rose
· Jan Sandström: “Lo, How a Rose e'er blooming”
· Samuel Scheidt: Canzon cornetto a 4
· Anon: “There is No Rose”
· Herbert Howells: “A Spotless Rose”
Giovanni Gabrieli: Sonata pian e forte
Felix Mendelssohn: “Frohlocket ihr Volker auf Erden”
A Lily Among Thorns
· Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Sicut lilium inter spinas
· Leonora d’Este: Sicut lilium inter spinas
Lodovico da Viadana: Sinfonia "La bergamasca"
Jeremiah Ingalls: “Glory to God on High”
The Rose Blossoms
· Distler: "Lo How a Rose”
· Benjamin Britten: “Hymn to the Virgin”
· Anton Bruckner: “Virga Jesse”
Johann Sebastian Bach: "Christmas Oratorio": " Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein”
Tielman Susato: Suite from “La Danserye”
The Lily of the Valley
· Melchior Vulpius: “Lo How a Rose”
· Claudio Monteverdi: “Ego flos campi”
· Rafaella Aleotti: “Ego flos campi”
Mateo Flecha: “Riu riu chiu”
A New World Mass
· Juan Gutierrez de Padilla: “Missa ego flos campi”
· Anonymous: Te Deum
Tickets:
Music of the Baroque celebrates the season with four “A Rose in Winter:” Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts conducted by Andrew Megill, Dec. 15-18. Details follow:
“Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts”
Conducted by Andrew Megill
7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15, at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St., River Forest, Ill.(www.graceriverforest.org)
7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 16, at St. Michael Church, 1633 N Cleveland Ave., Chicago (www.st-mikes.org)
Tickets: $25-$100. Visit www.baroque.org or call 312.551.1414
2 p.m., Saturday, Dec.17, at Saints Faith, Hope, & Charity Church, 191 Linden St., Winnetka, Ill. (www.faithhope.org)
2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at Alice Millar Chapel- Northwestern University, 1870 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, Ill. (www.northwestern.edu/millarchapel)
Tickets: $40-$105. Visit www.baroque.org or call 312.551.1414
For tickets or more information, visit www.baroque.org.
About Andrew Megill
Megill was named Music of the Baroque's Chorus Director in April 2022. He is recognized as one the leading choral conductors of his generation, admired for both his passionate artistry and his unusually wide-ranging repertoire, which extends from early music to newly composed works. He currently serves as the Suzanne and William Allen Distinguished Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). In addition, he leads three of North America’s finest professional vocal ensembles: the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the Carmel Bach Festival Chorale, and Fuma Sacra.
Megill frequently collaborates with the world’s leading orchestras. He has prepared choirs for the American Composers’ Orchestra, American Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonie, National Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and Venice Baroque Orchestra for conductors including Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Joseph Flummerfelt, Rafael Frühbeck du Burgos, Alan Gilbert, Neeme Järvi, Zdenek Macal, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, John Nelson, and Julius Rudel. An accomplished orchestral conductor, Megill has led the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra, I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra, Masterwork Orchestra, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, and Sinfonia da Camera (Urbana, IL). He made his debut conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 2014.
Megill is particularly admired for his performances of Baroque choral works. He regularly collaborates with leaders in the field of historically informed performance, including Masaaki Suzuki, Ton Koopman, Bruno Weil, Andrea Marcon, Paul Goodwin, Julianne Baird, Elizabeth Wallfisch, Nancy Wilson, Peter Hanson, and John Holloway. He has conducted many period-instrument orchestras, including Piffaro, Rebel, Sinfonia NYC, Brandywine Baroque, the Sebastians, Tempesta di Mare, and the Trinity Baroque Orchestra.
Megill previously served as Music Director of the Masterwork Chorus and Orchestra and Chorusmaster for the Spoleto Festival USA. He has been a guest artist with the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, TENET vocal ensemble, the Juilliard Opera Center, and Emmanuel Music, and served as interim choirmaster for Trinity Church in Manhattan. Prior to his appointment at the University of Illinois, he taught at Westminster Choir College for more than twenty years.
About Music of the Baroque
Long recognized as one of the region’s top classical groups, Music of the Baroque’s professional chorus and orchestra is one of the leading ensembles in the country devoted to the performance of eighteenth-century works. The 2022-2023 season marks the 20th anniversaries of Music Director Dame Jane Glover and Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer. Andrew Megill was named Chorus Director in April 2022.
Over the past four decades, Music of the Baroque has presented premiere performances of many early masterpieces, including Monteverdi’s operas and 1610 Vespers, Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Day of Judgment,” Mozart’s “Idomeneo,” and numerous Handel operas and oratorios. The ensemble has drawn particular praise throughout its history for its performances of the major choral and orchestral works of J. S. Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Haydn.
Opera News calls Music of the Baroque “one of Chicago’s musical glories” and the Chicago Sun-Times writes, “Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra may be the big guys on the local classical music scene, but in terms of sheer quality of performance…Music of the Baroque inhabits the same stratosphere.”
Music of the Baroque draws audiences from across the Chicago metropolitan area, performing regularly at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago and the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, as well as at intimate Chicago and suburban churches.
Listeners across the country enjoy Music of the Baroque’s work through radio broadcasts and recordings on 98.7WFMT Radio.
Music of the Baroque's available recordings include "Messiah—Live in Chicago" recorded live in November 2021; "Bach's Mass in B Minor" recorded live during the 2019-2020 season; and "On This Night," recorded live during the ensemble's 2017 and 2014 holiday concerts and conducted by William Jon Gray.
Through its "Strong Voices" program, Music of the Baroque conducts arts education to support and enhance music education programs at Chicago public high schools.
For more information about Music of the Baroque, visit www.baroque.org.