March 10, 2018
Program Notes
Our concert tonight begins with the exciting Chichester Psalms by the famous American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. This year, 2018, marks the 100-year anniversary of Bernstein’s birth and we honor his writing for both the concert hall and the stage by showcasing both. Chichester Psalms was written in 1965 and contains many of the compositional elements for which Bernstein is known such as rhythmic intricacy, jazz harmonies, and dramatic text setting. With psalms providing the words for each of the three movements, the work is an important contribution to Jewish musical literature. Since Bernstein was also well known for writing musicals (West Side Story, Candide, On the Town), the second half of the concert will center around pieces from the musical theater world, highlighting female composers and the LGBTQ perspective. I Feel Pretty describes the emotions that can overwhelm someone who finds themselves in love with a “pretty wonderful boy.” Art Is Calling Me – also known as The Prima Donna Song – is a hilarious tour through ‘diva life.’ Heart and Music offers a gay songwriter’s reaction to the prospect of dying with his greatest song still inside him. Sing for Your Supper contains the ‘new’ swing and tight harmonies of the 1930s and is a songbird’s advice on how to get what you want. My Heart Was Set On You comes from Broadway star Sutton Foster’s cabaret album and is a touching reflection on a lost love. You Matter to Me is a modern Broadway take on building someone up with support and love. Raise You Up/Just Be contains Cyndi Lauper’s trademark energy and tells of the lessons about self-esteem and community that the owner of Kinky Boots was able to learn from a drag queen named Lola. The concert concludes with the classic You’ll Never Walk Alone which speaks to the power of perseverance and community. Thank you for supporting Windy City Performing Arts and enjoy the show!
• WINDY CITY GAY CHORUS •
Founded in October 1979, Windy City Gay Chorus is the oldest gay chorus in Illinois and the Midwest, and one of the first gay choruses organized in the country. WCGC is a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). WCGC’s first performance was in December 1979, at the “Don We Now” holiday concert at Stages Music Hall. Windy City Gay Chorus has performed in cities throughout the country, and has been lauded by the Illinois House of Representatives, the mayors of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Seattle, and Chicago mayors Rahm Emanuel, Richard M. Daley, and the late Harold Washington. The chorus has a commitment to performing music that is as challenging as it is entertaining.
• WINDY CITY TREBLE QUIRE •
Windy City Treble Quire is WCPA’s treble chorus. Formed in 1996 under the name Aria: Windy City Women’s Ensemble, it was originally the small, women’s ensemble of Unison: Windy City Lesbian and Gay Singers, and quickly became an audience favorite at concerts and special appearances over the years, performing at GALA Festival 2000 in San Jose to rave reviews. Now, with a new name that reflects today’s reality of a chorus that encompasses singers who self-identify as female, male, straight, gay, trans* or bisexual, Windy City Treble Quire embraces its role as a totally inclusive chorus. The word ‘Quire’, an old-English spelling of ‘choir’, also gives voice to chorus members who identify as queer. WCTQ performs music that not only entertains but reminds us of our diversity, and is poised to make a lasting impact on the mainstream as well as LGBT music scene.
• WINDY CITY PERFORMING ARTS •
Windy City Performing Arts (incorporated in 1983) is the independent not-for-profit umbrella organization comprised of Windy City Gay Chorus and Windy City Treble Quire. Each chorus performs a variety of musical styles from classical to pop. We pride ourselves on musical excellence regardless of the style of music, and have a history of performing major choral works including specially commissioned pieces. WCPA made history in 2003 when we became the first LGBT choral organization to sing the National Anthem at an Illinois professional sporting event, opening for the Chicago White Sox. The choruses of WCPA have performed on regional and local stages, from Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago) to Carnegie Hall (New York).
Windy City Performing Arts 