By Maureen Callahan
For 70 years, Elmhurst Choral Union (ECU) has enjoyed making music. The group of about 60 members ranges in age from Elmhurst University students to a few octogenarians. All members are volunteer professionals. It’s a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is overseen by several members who serve as a Board of Directors, with everyone pitching in to take care of the administrative work.
ECU holds auditions twice a year, in late August for the fall semester and late January for the spring semester. The group is based at Hammerschmidt Chapel at Elmhurst University.
Every other holiday season, the group performs Handel’s Messiah, with the off-year offering a medley of more contemporary songs. This December, a mix of tunes featuring music from Home Alone and White Christmas, all tied together by a few other Yuletide favorites, are on the docket.
The spring shows vary, depending on the designs of Artistic Director Scott Uttenburg. Sometimes, it’s a complete work of music, such as Brahm’s German Requiem in its entirety, with other years featuring a variety of songs. This year’s spring performance is set for May 17, 2025.
While the big group takes the summer off, smaller factions of ECU, such as the Choral Union Chambers, perform the national anthem at various baseball games and entertain at senior living communities and nursing homes in the surrounding area. The Choral Union Chambers also holds two smaller concert events, which are different from those of the large group. The mid-winter event, Medley of Melodies, is held in February and also serves as a fundraiser. It’s performed cabaret style with group members doing solos or duets of anything from Broadway to pop to Opera styles.
Microwave Masterpieces is a fun event on a Sunday each August that offers interested community members a chance to come and learn more about the group. It starts around 1 pm, when attendees are given the music and rehearse for a few hours while getting a feel for the group. By 4 pm, they put on a performance. “It’s a quick way to learn music and also to get acquainted with our artistic director and how he does things,” said ECU President Molly Durava. “It’s a fun afternoon and a great fundraising and recruiting tool.”
While the group takes their music seriously, ECU also has a very social side. Dine and donate fundraising offers members a chance to get to know each other over dinner. The group goes out for drinks after rehearsal a few times a semester as well to catch up.
Last year, ECU traveled to Europe with American Music Abroad.
“It was a blast!” said Durava. For 12 days, choral members, under the artistic direction of Uttenburg, performed shows in Prague, Budapest, and Vienna, with time to tour around between performances. ECU encourages any community members who love to sing or play in a band to check out American Music Abroad and consider traveling with them to Paris next summer.
ECU is looking to expand and grow as an entity. “We would like to increase our membership,” said Durava “and expand our reach of people who might want to participate in the group, especially those of tenor and bass registers. We’re very focused on singing more classical than pop songs or Broadway show tunes.”
“We aspire to promote ourselves as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra of the suburbs,” Durava stated. “Our members have the opportunity to sing master works. We would love to provide the same quality of experience as one might have at Orchestra Hall without having to go downtown.”
“We’re a great group of people who love to sing,” Durava said.
Please visit ElmhurstChoralUnion.org for information on tickets or auditions.
