Bienen School of Music CHORAL ORGANIZATIONS

BCE — the initials could easily stand for Beyond the Common Era or Before the Common Era.

The 24-voice ensemble sings a highly specialized, virtuosic repertoire for advanced choral singers, concentrating on music of the 21st century and drawing relationships to its polyphonic roots in early music, primarily that of the Renaissance. This ensemble is only open to music majors.

The ensemble has given the world premiere of David Lang’s a house, Nicholas Cline’s Watersheds; the U.S. premieres of Wolfgang Rihm’s Astralis and Toivo Tulev’s Songs; and the Midwest premieres of Judd Greenstein’s My City, James MacMillan’s St. John Passion, Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Ad genua, Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, Kile Smith’s Vespers, Kaija Saariaho’s Oltra mar, John Luther Adams Sila: the breath of the world, David T. Little’s dress in magic amulets, dark from My feet, and Ted Hearne’s Consent. Working closely with The Bienen School of Music’s Institute for New Music, the ensemble explores a wide range of music from Esa-Pekka Salonen to Morton Feldman, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen to Kaija Saariaho, with a foundation in Dufay, Buxtehude, and Josquin. BCE has sung at the Harris Theatre as part of Chicago’s Ear Taxi Festival, with Chicago Opera Theatre in the area premiere of Justine Chen’s The Life and Deaths of Alan Turing, and on a number of occasions for The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Music Now series. 

Terrifying Angel—Choral Explorations of Rilke

Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 7:30pm CST

Galvin Recital Hall

Andrew Megill and Tim Lambert, conductors
Stephen Andrew Taylor, guest composer

An evening of choral settings of poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke, whose beautiful and powerful words explore the human experience of transcendence. Paul Hindemith’s Six chansons elegantly set the poet’s miniature French poems, which vividly depict fleeting moments of truth via their descriptions of the natural world. Die erste Elegie by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara transforms one of Rilke’s most complex poems (and one of the poet’s own favorites) into a dramatic work for virtuoso choir. Also on the program is a commission from Illinois composer Stephen Andrew Taylor (‘87) and the American premiere of Rilke settings by Canadian composer Ramona Luengen.

Ramona Luengen, In tiefen Nächten 
Paul Hindemith, Six chansons 
Stephen Andrew Taylor, Only Yes (world premiere) 
Einojuhani Rautavaara, Die erste Elegie 

Bach and the Dance of God

Friday, February 2, 2024 at 7:30pm CST

Galvin Recital Hall

Andrew Megill and Tim Lambert, conductors; Charles Foster, piano; Callipygian Players

BCE and a guest ensemble of period instruments collaborate in two cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4) and Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht (BWV 105). Other works on the program include selections from Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, and a companion work to Cantata 4 by Bienen School of Music Dean Jonathan Bailey Holland. 

J. S. Bach, Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105 
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, selections from Stabat Mater 
Jonathan Bailey Holland, The Mystery 
J. S. Bach, Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4 

Sound from the Bench

February 3, 2023

The Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble, under the direction of Donald Nally, performs Ted Hearne’s Sound from The Bench. Joining the ensemble is the original band from the work’s 2014 premiere: guitarists Taylor Levine and James Moore, together with percussionist Ron Wiltrout.

A 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Sound from The Bench is a reaction to Jena Osman’s book Corporate Relations that follows the trajectory of corporate personhood in the United States, with texts from landmark supreme Court Cases and ventriloquism textbooks.

1. how to throw your voice
2. mouth piece
3. (ch)oral argument
4. simple surgery
5. when you hear

The Last Message Received

April 30, 2022

The Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and combined choirs present the world premiere of Christopher Cerrone’s The Last Message Received. Donald Nally conducts the performance, featuring soloists Isobel Anthony, Olivia Knutsen, Lauren Randolph, and Ellen Robertson.

Co-commissioned by Northwestern University and the Yale Symphony Orchestra and Glee Club, and with a libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, The Last Message Received is based on a blog of the same name containing submissions of the last messages people received from ex-friends or ex-significant others, as well as from deceased friends, significant others, and relatives.

I. I Want You To Know
II. You Are Not The One
III. Keep Dreaming
IV. We Could Have Been Something
V. Blink Twice
VI. I Don’t Know Why You Love Me But Thank You