Come hear what Albany Park sounds like.
This seasonal showcase will bring to life the sounds of Chicago's historic Albany Park neighborhood through a concert featuring original music, exciting choreography and multimedia presentations.
Tickets are $10* per person, available for purchase at the concert. All seating is general admission. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.
*Uniting Voices Chicago has a pay-what-you-can policy, allowing guests to pay as much or as little as they like per ticket, including requesting free tickets if desired*
Uniting Voices Chicago strives to make music and performance accessible to anyone who wants it. Assistive listening devices are available at the ticketing desk. The main entrance of Schurz High School is wheelchair accessible. To request accommodations, please email info [at] unitingvoiceschicago [dot] org.
Use this text-only program to access translations using your web browser.
Albany Park Neighborhood Choir Community Concert
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Carl Schurz High School
Conductors
Alex Bravos (they/them), Albany Park Neighborhood Choir & School Programs
Bailey Haynes (she/her), School Programs
Dewey Bolz (he/him), School Programs
Magdalena Delgado (she/her), School Programs
About Uniting Voices Chicago
Founded in 1956 at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir) empowers and unites youth from diverse backgrounds to find their voice and celebrate their common humanity through the power of music. As a leading non-profit organization, we serve thousands of youth ages 6-18 from every zip code of Chicago through transformative and accessible music education programs and performance opportunities.
After the Show
Feel Inspired?
Like what you heard tonight? Want to be a bold voice for change and an ambassador for your community? Following tonight’s concert, students in grades 3 and up are invited to take part in a vocal placement and be ready to start in our programs for the very next rehearsal. Learn more about Uniting Voices Chicago and our sliding scale tuition at unitingvoiceschicago.org/join
Black History Month: Sankofa Speaks
February 27 & 28 | Chicago Symphony Center
Sankofa is an Akan Ghanaian word meaning “to go or return and retrieve what was lost.” With this pillar program Uniting Voices Chicago uses performance to raise the visibility of authentic Africana music including selections from Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Trinidad and Tobago, and South Africa, plus a rich legacy of African American music from the United States. Special guests include master djembekhan Sekou Conde and renowned soprano Audrey DuBois Harris.
Concert Program
Overture
The Rose, Instrumental
Introduction Video
Albany Park Neighborhood Choir Allegro
Once in Royal David’s City
Trad. English carol
El Coquí
Trad. Puerto Rican folk song
Translation:
The coqui, the coqui's always singing,
The coqui's singing is very nice
And sometimes, I go to sleep at night
With the sweet singing of the coqui,
Coqui, coqui, coqui, qui, qui, qui
Coqui, coqui, coqui, qui, qui, qui.
The coqui, I love the coqui,
The singing of the coqui is so beautiful,
At night when I go to bed,
It makes me fall asleep singing like that.
Coqui, coqui, coqui, qui, qui, qui
Coqui, coqui, coqui, qui, qui, qui.
Abendsegen
from Hansel and Gretel
Engelbert Humperdinck
Translation:
When at night I go to sleep
Fourteen angels watch do keep
Two my head are guarding
Two my feet are guiding
Two are on my right hand
Two are on my left hand
Two who warmly cover
Two who o’er me hover
Two to whom ’tis given
To guide my steps to heaven
Sleeping softly, then it seems
Heaven enters in my dreams;
Angels hover round me,
Whispering they have found me;
Two are sweetly singing,
Two are garlands bringing,
Strewing me with roses
As my soul reposes.
God will not forsake me
When dawn at last will wake me.
God Yu Tekem Laef Blong Mi
Melanesian chant; adapted by Hans Zimmer; arr. Alex Bravos
Translation:
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee;
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise;
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Albany Park Neighborhood Choir Vivace
Riu Riu
Trad. Spanish carol; arr. Michael McGlynn
Translation:
The shepherd by the river:
God protect our sheep from the wolf.
The raging wolf tried to bite her,
But God almighty looked after her well.
He willed to make Her without sin,
Even original sin, this virgin did not have.
This new-born child is a great king,
Christ the Father made flesh;
He saved us by making himself into a tiny child,
He was forever, and is now infinite.
Sing Gently
Eric Whitacre; arr. Alex Bravos
Libertango
Astor Piazzola; arr. Oscar Escalada
Albany Park Neighborhood Choir Presto
The Rose
Ola Gjiello
On the Mountain
Trad. Ukrainian song; arr. Donald Patriquin
Redwood Tree
Jamie Drake; arr. Dewey Bolz
The Creation
Poem by James Weldon Johnson
Combined Neighborhood Ensembles
Fire
Katerina Gimon, Elements; Movement III
Combined Neighborhood Ensembles and School Programs
Revelation 19
Jeffrey LaValley; arr. Lonnie Norwood; string arr. Alex Bravos & Dewey Bolz
Ariwo
Trad. Yoruba song; arr. Lonnie Norwood
English Interpretation: I will make joyful noise, I will be successful, I will be fruitful/productive.
United
W. Mitchell Owens III
Tonight’s Performers
Albany Park Neighborhood Choir Allegro
Sofia Abshire
Ewan Atherton
Zola Baumgaertner+
Amelia Berlin
Anu Bhutt+
Scarlet Burnett*
Lucy Chilvers+
Ivy Dado+
Elsa Fallen+
Leah Gilstrap
Azalea Grafton
Desi Holmberg+*
Kai Jardine
Collin Kreidler
Sylvia Kurtz
Josie LaRue+
Elizaveta Lopez
Katie Nowak+
E Patton
Izzy Presas
Eunice Rodriguez
Sonia Sanders+
Renee Song+
Ania Lee Stronsky+
Marilyn Verdin+
Vivian Vandersluis+
Julian Victorian+
Orla Walker+
Josh Yuknis+
Albany Park Neighborhood Choir Vivace
Emmy Bassik+*
Clavin DuFloth
Jaxon DuFloth
Berenice Hernandez
Charlotte Jurgeleit
Beatrix Kurtz
Pearl Marino-Beard+
Maya Mote
Evie Molden+
Iker Paredes
Livia Pouw Janalys Rivera
Anthony Rosario+
Trey Sawyer
Casey Scott+
Ethan Tihal
Louisa Vanada+
Vivian Wilson+
Albany Park Neighborhood Choir Presto
Luna Garcia
Lucy Herr Shirrell+
Marline Hortillo
Keira Kreidler
Ziyu Liu+
Simone Marino-Beard+*
Leonie Ott-Bono
Claire Schmitt*
Vita Shcherbyna+
Alyssa Silveyra*
Stella Stronsky
Es Troccoli
Ciara Walker
Pepper Wilbur*
New to Albany Park Neighborhood Choir+
Soloist*
School Programs
CICS Irving Park
Disney II Magnet School
Edison Regional Gifted Center
Grover Cleveland Elementary School
Hibbard G. Elementary School
Musicians
Wes Dziedzic (Piano)
Angelica D’Costa (Violin)
Meena Cho (Cello)
Phil Stanley (F Horn)
Tim Seisser (Bass)
Kellen Boersma (Guitar)
Marquis Carter (Drums)
Dewey Bolz (Percussion)
Special Thanks
North Park Covenant Church
Carl Schurz High School
Thank you to our Program Assistant Aubry Nelson.
Edison Regional Gifted Center
Karen Valentine, Principal Jennifer Anderson-Flynn, Liaison
CICS Irving Park
Claire Kreller, K-8 Instruction Lead Lissette Guerrero, Liaison
Hibbard G. Elementary School
Scott Ahlman, Principal Barbara Engelmann, Liaison
Disney II Magnet School
Iliana Rzodkiewicz, Principal Kent Barnhart, Liaison
Grover Cleveland Elementary School
Deborah Ward, Principal Kristine Stanton, Liaison