The 150-member DePaul Community Chorus (DCC) will perform Mendelssohn’s dramatic oratorio “Elijah” in its entirety on May 31. Under the direction of Stephen Blackwelder, the chorus will be accompanied by the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra and joined by world-renowned soloists, including soprano Jonita Lattimore, mezzo-soprano Jane Bunnell  and tenor Clayton Parr. Baritone James Martin will sing the title role of Elijah.

The performance will begin at 3 p.m. at the Merle Reskin Theatre, 60 E. Balbo Ave., in Chicago’s South Loop. The event is free and open to the public, although tickets are required for admission.

“Even though we have no official auditions for membership, this is a seriously committed and outstanding group of singers” said Blackwelder, who is in his fourth season as DCC director. “It’s a thrill for all of us to celebrate the ‘Mendelssohn year’ with guest soloists like Jane Bunnell of the Metropolitan Opera and Jonita Lattimore of Lyric Opera and the Grant Park Music Festival.”

Now in its 20th year, the chorus has presented a wide-ranging repertoire, including choral literature of the great composers from the 16th century to the present day, in addition to folk songs, spirituals and music from stage and screen. The members of the chorus are drawn from people of all ages, ethnicities, spiritual perspectives and varying levels of musical experience. Marking the end of the DCC’s 20th anniversary season, the “Elijah” performance will be the chorus’ most ambitious work in recent memory and will help usher in the next two decades of community performances. The concert also commemorates the bicentennial of Mendelssohn’s birth.

The DePaul Community Chorus is the largest ensemble offered through the DePaul Community Music Division (CMD). Founded in 1988, the CMD serves 700 students each year through on-site programs that include individual instruction, ensembles, workshops and performance opportunities as well as off-site partnership programs with schools and community organizations.

For more information about the event or the DePaul Community Chorus, call (773) 325-7262. 

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Media interested in covering the event should contact Jeffrey Levine at (773) 325-7262 or jlevin12@depaul.edu.