CMS University back in January

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Chicago Master Singers launched CMS University in August 2020 to provide engaging educational content while our live performances are on hold. Having just concluded a successful first semester of free weekly seminars, CMS has announced that this popular series will continue in January with 15 weeks of new musical topics. 

The one-hour programs, presented by Music Director John Hughes, will be streamed live on YouTube every Monday evening at 7 pm Central time from January 11 through April 19. Participants in the live events have the opportunity to interact and ask questions. If you miss the live event, you can watch the recordings later on YouTube. There is no charge to attend, but advance registration is required to join the livestreamed event.

Dr. Hughes has created a new series of programs on musical topics that has something for everyone. Several of the programs focus on choral literature and will take us inside the scores of such masterworks as Mozart’s Solemn Vespers, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Fauré’s Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah. A program on spirituals will explore their evolution and transformation. 

Programs on music history will cover the Lutheran Reformation’s influence on music, the Bach family, and composer Hugo Distler who carried the mantle of Lutheranism into the 20th century. Other programs on choral culture will explore the Estonian choral tradition and the legacies of some famous U.S. choruses.

Singers will discover useful techniques in programs on approaching music from different time periods, practical uses of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and how to protect your voice as it changes throughout life. A panel of CMS soloists will share their experiences in a conversation about their craft.

The complete seminar schedule can be found on the registration website and is also shown below. CMS University’s first semester of seminars can still be viewed at no charge on the Chicago Master Singers YouTube channel.

Register now! The seminars are free, but registration is required so that we can send you a link to the event. If you experience any difficulty in registering, please contact us at [email protected]. We will be happy to help you.

We look forward to exploring these exciting musical subjects with you next semester at CMS University!