Chicago’s leading voice in new music, WFC seeks to redefine “choir.” At the forefront of Chicago’s contemporary music scene for over 50 years, and with over 200 premiere performances, we expand choral repertoire through the performance of living composers. By supporting voices innovating choral music, our artists create new connections with the world around us, connecting audiences, composers and artists in unparalleled ways.
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Led by Artistic and Music Director Chris Windle, WFC’s roster draws from some of the most exciting professional vocalists working in and around the Chicagoland area. Performing in different iterations based on project size, WFC brings anywhere from 6 to 24 members of the roster together for given projects. Recent highlights include, Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles, David Lang’s the little match girl passion, Wally Gunn’s The Ascendant, and the premieres of Robert Maggio’s Lungs of a City and Kile Smith’s In The Midst of Life.
Exploring and experiencing new music with our artists and audience opens us all to new ideas, new sounds, and new voices; and this brings the 50-year long legacy of founder William Ferris to audiences throughout the region.
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"One by one, other a cappella groups popped up, inspired by Ferris’ shining example. It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that Chicago would not be the busy Midwest hub of choral performance it is today if not for the organization he and Vorrasi built four decades ago." - John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune
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Chris has been the Artistic Director since 2021.
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The mission of the Chicago Chamber Choir is to create experiences that engage our community in high-quality choral art. Our vision is to be Chicago’s preeminent avocational choral ensemble through diverse and innovative programming, excellence in artistry, and community enrichment.
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The Chicago Chamber Choir's 40 singers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are professional musicians, others are teachers, and still others have careers in fields as diverse as law and medicine. They are united through their passion for world-class choral singing, performing throughout the city in venues including the Harris Theater and the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University.
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The choir's repertoire is diverse and expansive; each program is carefully curated, drawing from the immense collection of choral music throughout history and around the world. CCC has a special interest in contemporary choral music and how it speaks to the lives and values of modern singers and audiences.
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The Chicago Chamber Choir is committed to extending our community beyond our singing members to other musicians, community partners, and our audience. We seek to use music to affect positive change in the world. Collaboration, with groups large and small, is part of that identity. Collaborating musical ensembles include Chicago Philharmonic, Lakeview Orchestra, CHAI Collaborative Ensemble, and Youth Choral Theater of Chicago. Community partnerships include the Chicago Historical Society, the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, and Night Ministry.
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Chris has been the Artistic Director since 2017.
Music is an integral element of the mass and spiritual life of the Church of the Atonement. Each year, the choirs sing up to 45 choral settings of the mass ordinary, 14 services of Evensong, and a service of Advent Lessons and Carols.
The 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning Solemn High Mass is sung by the choirs from the beginning of October through the feast of Corpus Christi each year. At this liturgy, you will hear a new choral setting of the mass ordinary, Anglican psalm chants, motets for offertory and communion, and chanted propers for the day; and you will participate in fervent hymn singing. During the summer months the congregation sings the ordinary and the choirs sing the anthems.
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Chris has been conducting choir's at Atonement since 2013.
