The Kapelle from Concordia University Chicago, under the direction of Dr. Charles Brown, will present a concert at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 711 Court Street in Pekin, on Friday, October 23 at 7 PM. The performance is part of the choir’s Fall tour, with a program titled “God is Love’: Music for Reformation and All Saints.” A freewill offering will be taken.
Kapelle is the premier choral ensemble of the university, with members chosen by audition and including both music majors and those focusing on other fields of study. Each year the choir embarks on tours in the Fall and Spring, traveling to different regions of the U.S., in addition to participation in the university’s annual Service of Lessons and Carols and other performance opportunities. Every four years the Kapelle also completes an international tour, most recently touring in Poland last spring. In addition, the ensemble has produced eleven recordings of sacred music.
Dr. Charles Brown is in his fourteenth year as director of choral activities at Concordia University Chicago where he conducts Kapelle and also Männerchor. He earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Arizona in choral conducting and voice performance. At Concordia, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting, choral literature, singer’s diction, applied voice, aural skills, and choral music education. Brown is also regularly involved in festivals and workshops throughout the country, serves on the board of the American Choral Directors Association Central Division, and has been active in the Chicago area singing bass-baritone roles, specializing in Baroque oratorio music.
Concordia University Chicago is a liberal arts-based university affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a member of the Concordia University System. Founded in 1864 as a teacher’s college, the university now offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in education, the arts and sciences, and business. The academic institution also continues to prepare individuals for service to the church as Lutheran school teachers, Directors of Christian Education, Deaconesses, and church musicians.
Peoria Chapter of the American Guild of Organists 