The following notes on the history of the New Classic Singers were written by Lee R. Kesselman for the closing program of our 25th season, held in May 2007.

When I interviewed for my faculty position at College of DuPage in summer of 1981, I was asked if I would be interested in founding a professional chorus at College of DuPage. The visionary leadership of the College — Hal McAninch (President), Richard Holgate (Director of Performing Arts), Dan Lindsey (Dean), and Jack Weiseman (Assistant Dean) — painted the picture of resident professional ensembles at the community college which would anchor the arts at the institution, alongside student and community ensembles. Their vision was too great to resist.

In December of 1982, New Classic Singers gave its first concert in Building M, with 23 singers. Since that time, NCS has brought exciting and innovative concerts of choral music to College of DuPage, the surrounding community and metropolitan Chicago. Through these 25 years, we have enjoyed the rich support of the College, the community, our talented singers, and YOU --  our loyal and enthusiastic audience.

We have had the privilege of hosting 17 composer residencies, of premiering and/or commissioning 13 works, and of collaborating with many wonderful soloists and ensembles, among them, NEXUS, Kronos Quartet, Chicago String Ensemble, and the Ars Viva Symphony. I have had the personal privilege of having NCS sing many of my original works and arrangements, of which 14 were first performances for those works.  We have sung time-honored masterworks by the greatest composers of Western music, we have explored and promoted the works of our time, we have immersed ourselves in the musics of the Americas, and we have sung music from many of the vocal music traditions and languages of the world. We have sung of Love and of Hate, of Beauty and of Faith, and of War and of Peace. We have shared all of these experiences with our College of DuPage students and with this community. I think we have enriched the lives of this community, of our performers, and of the world of music in well over 100 different concerts of exceptional choral music.

Premieres and Commissions

Conrad Susa	Six Madrigals (Chamber Music, Bk. 2)	October 1984
Robert Boyd	In Flanders Field	May 1987
Dominick Argento	A Toccata of Galuppi’s†	November 1990
Thomas Pasatieri	Harvest Frost	May 1993
Jacob Avshalomov	Songs in Season	summer 1994
Gwyneth Walker	Love – By the Water	May 1997
Stephen Paulus	Songs from the Japanese†	May 1998
Carol Barnett	The Mystic Trumpeter†	May 1998
Jennifer Shelton (arr.)	Night and Day/In the Still of the Night	November 1998
Nick Page	Magnificence	May 2001
Clyde Thompson	We Have Spoken	November 2002
William Berry (arr.)	Hush, My Babe	December 2002

† indicates co-commission.

 

Premieres of works by Lee R. Kesselman

The Dimension of Stillness	June 1985
American Voices (Arts Center Opening Concert)	October 1986
Jesus Born in Bethlea (arr.)	December 1988
The Friendly Beasts (arr.)	December 1990
Wayfarin’ Stranger (arr.)	November 1992
Old Rosin the Beau (arr.)	November 1992
Street Corner Carols	December 1992
De Ballet ob de Boll Weevil (arr.)	November 1995
A Christmas Hymn	December 1995
Jackson’s Carol	December 1998
The Emperor’s New Clothes (choral opera)	April 1999
Songs of Wonder	December 2005
Play on Your Harp	May 2006
Bach Invention (arr.)	May 2007

 

Composers-in-Residence

Stephen Paulus	May 1983
Jacob Avshalomov	March 1986
Robert DeCormier	November 1988
Alice Parker	November 1989
Dominick Argento	November 1990
Jacob Avshalomov	November 1992
Thomas Pasatieri	May 1993
Clyde Thompson	May 1995
Jacob Avshalomov	November 1995
Gwyneth Walker	May 1997
Nick Page	November 1997
Carol Barnett	May 1998
Imant Raminsh	October 1999
Nick Page	May 2001
Clyde Thompson	November 2002
Jacob Avshalomov	March 2004
Daniel Brewbaker	November 2006

 

Selected Major Works

Mozart	Missa Brevis in F, K. 192
Vaughan Williams	Flos Campi
Bach	Magnificat
Vivaldi	Gloria
Britten	A Ceremony of Carols
Bach	The Passion According to St. John
Corigliano	Fern Hill
Handel	Dixit Dominus
Duruflé	Requiem
Bernstein	Chichester Psalms
Bach	Mass in b minor
Mozart	Litany Lauretanae, K. 195
Mozart	Requiem, K. 626
Handel	Messiah
Bach	Wachet Auf
Bach	Christ lag in Todesbanden
Britten	Cantata Misericordium, Op. 69
Fanshawe	African Sanctus
Mozart	Missa in C, K. 337
Arvo Pärt	Te Deum
Bernstein	Mass
Handel	Israel in Egypt
Rachmaninoff	All-Night Vigil
Brahms	Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
Bernstein	Candide
MacMillan	Seven Last Words from the Cross
Bernstein	On the Town
Argento	Jonah and the Whale
Riley	Sun-Rings
Bach	Jesu Meine Freude
Vasks	Dona Nobis Pacem