8/25 – Concert Recap

This week, Rush Hour presented its 10th season finale concert event: Percussion Panache. Third Coast Percussion artists Owen Clayton Condon, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore provided a thrilling final performance featuring an impressive array of percussion instruments. Following the concert, Third Coast treated concertgoers to a hands-on tour of the instruments.

Third Coast Percussion warming up on the marimbas

Peter Martin chats with an audience member before the concert

Executive Director Megan Balderston, Artistic Director Deborah Sobol, and Managing Director Julie Hutchison

The lights dim on the 10th season at Rush Hour

Thoughts from the Executive Director & Artistic Director: Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

I usually like to tie my writing together with neat bows, observations, and interesting anecdotes. Today, however, I wish only to thank you all for a wonderful season and your intense generosity over the month of August.

Just as Chicago traffic has two seasons, winter and construction, so do we have two seasons: production and planning. Being able to go into planning season secure in the support of our audience helps us to program concerts around artistic goals, rather than solely under the constraint of “can we afford it?” The 2009 season was a testament to the power of planning a season with the best artists and programs in mind. We thank you all for your role in bringing beautiful music into our lives, and look forward to seeing you again next summer.

- Megan Balderston
Executive Director

People say time flies when you’re having fun. This year has gone by faster than any of the previous ten! Thank you to ALL of you – audience, volunteers, staff, board, and supporters – for making this year so memorable. Artists new to Rush Hour this year have asked to be invited back again, so impressed were they with what they now call “the Rush Hour experience.” I am already very excited about the programming for next season, which will hold 14 concerts. The CSO cellists and friends are cooking up another multi-cello concert for June; Fifth House will be back with its exuberant energy; Trio Voce, the dynamic piano trio who brought us Ravel’s Piano Trio a few weeks ago, will be with us again; the Lincoln String Quartet will be joined by two guests in Brahms’ magnificent Sextet, Op. 18, No. 1. As always, we will have a combination of “cornerstone chamber music works” next to a few unknown works, unusual instrumental combinations, new music and…yes, even a bit of whimsy! And, of course, we will continue to aim to inspire and uplift you in your busy lives.

The “winter music season” will be starting up soon in our great city. There are brochures available here today of several wonderful series that I recommend to you to keep your appetites for great live music fed in our off-season. But we won’t go away completely: please visit us online here at rushhour.org and sign up for our e-newsletter that comes out regularly throughout the fall, winter and spring, with lots of interesting articles, news of RH off-season events, and my recommendations for good listening adventures around town. Thank you for a great summer!

When the ice and snow make their season visit to Chicago this year, just sit back and remember Tuesdays at St. James Cathedral: the light, the camaraderie, the receptions, and the music. It will be here soon again!

- Deborah Sobol
Artistic Director

8/19 – Concert Recap

This week, Rush Hour presented “ORGAN 102: Fantasies, Preludes, and Fugues of J.S. Bach,” featuring organist Bruce J. Barber II, St. James’ Director of Cathedral Music. A live video feed of the performance performance was projected onto a screen on the stage, making the organist visible to the audience from his position in the music gallery. Cameras filmed Mr. Barber’s hands and feet, displaying the incredible skill and dexterity required to play the organ.

Special thanks to the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chicago for their sponsorship in part of Tuesday’s concert event.

Bruce J. Barber II rehearsing for Tuesday’s performance

The foot pedals of the organ: a keyboard that is played with the feet and volume pedals

An audience member browses the information provided by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chicago, a sponsor of today’s concert

Organist Bruce Barber addresses a group of audience members during the post-concert organ tour

Exactly What Is an Organ…and How Does it Work?

[Before Tuesday, August 18th's organ concert, we offer a repeat of organist Bruce Barber's excellent "behind the scenes" tour of the organ. If you're attending Tuesday's concert, don't miss the live tour immediately following the concert! - Julie Hutchison, Managing Director]

Organists are often asked these two simple questions . . . the answer, however, is both simple and complicated! I offer you my best shot at answering clearly and simply!

What is an organ? The very first organs were winded through the use of moving water and were popular in Greek civilization to provide a “drone” (like the drones of the bagpipe) as background for entertainment instruments and singing. In settings more closely associated with organs (i.e. churches), the instrument is thought to have made its first appearance as early as the 6th century. By that time, it had grown from its humble, water-winded system into a much larger instrument (still small by today’s standards) which was raucous in nature and whose function was principally to play during formal processions and, to a lesser extent, to accompany singing.

Towards the 13th century, the organ took on a much greater liturgical (sacred) role – offering support for chant and presenting specific music written for it (albeit geared towards the Mass). Because of the increasing importance being placed upon it, the organ also grew in size! It was winded by multiple bellows (often worked by multiple individuals); its palette of stops (collections of pipes of varying timbre and pitches) increased; and it became an increasingly important work of art in the life of both church and community.

By the 15th century in Germany, organs were being built with separate stops and keys for the feet – the pedalboard was born. The organ continued to develop into styles that reflected the national identity of the builder: e.g. Dutch organs sounded different from English organs, which sounded different from American organs, etc. These nationalistic styles were also heavily informed by composers for the organ as they pressed builders to create new and innovative sounds for the organ. Additionally, the organ began to appear in town halls, orchestra halls, and opera houses as composers included parts for it in their works: think of the heroic Symphony No. 3 of Camille Saint-Saëns or the stunning Concerto for Organ by Francis Poulenc, to name but a few.

How does it work? Well, first of all, an organ is basically a collection of very expensive whistles (pipes) of varying tonal colors that speak (make sound) when air blows through them. How the pipes are controlled from the keyboards (console) varies from builder to builder, but there are basically two ways for that “connection” to be made. Some organs are called “tracker organs” as they have an actual physical connection through levers, cables, and joints — all making up the tracker mechanism — which runs from each key to the base of each pipe, while other organs are called “electro-pneumatic organs” because that key to pipe connection is made NOT with trackers, but rather through electronic signal transmitted through a wiring system (and in some cases, involving a computer!)

For example, in Chicago, the organ in the balcony at Holy Name Cathedral is a tracker organ built by a Dutch builder (Flentrop), while the St. James’ organ is an electro-pneumatic organ built by American builders (Austin and E.M. Skinner — and a few others!) St. James has had an organ since the church was first built in 1837; over the years, it has been rebuilt and enlarged many times and currently consists of 99 ranks (collections of pipes) and over 5800 individual speaking pipes. Most notably, it incorporates the historic 1929 E.M. Skinner Organ originally built and installed in Chicago’s Lyric Opera House.

- Bruce J. Barber II
Director of Cathedral Music, St. James Cathedral

8/11 – Concert Recap

This week, Rush Hour presented “RAVISHING FRENCH.” Trio Voce’s Jasmine Lin, violin, Marina Hoover, cello, and Patricia Tao, piano, performed Maurice Ravel’s Trio in A minor for Violin, Cello, and Piano. The trio then surprised and delighted audience members with an encore, Astor Piazzolla’s lively tango, “Esquelo.”

Special thanks to the Consulate General of France in Chicago for their sponsorship in part of Tuesday’s concert event.

Cellist Marina Hoover, violinist Jasmine Lin, and pianist Patricia Tao record Episode 11 of podcast series “Rush Hour Conversations” with Artistic Director Deborah Sobol

Audience members enjoy the view from the overflow seating in the music gallery

Jasmine Lin, violin, and Marina Hoover, cello

Volunteer Margaret Isaacson (right) enjoys the reception with friends and family

Thoughts from the Artistic Director: 30 Pairs of Hands

As we sit back in the fullness of Rush Hour’s August, here are a few up-to-date statistics from the 2009 season so far that I thought might be of interest to weekly audience members and first-timers alike:

• 140 pounds of fruit and cheese, 4,000 cookies, brownies and pastries, and 3,500 glasses of wine, juice, water and tea have been prepared and offered to our audience before each concert
• Up to 525 attendees each week have experienced the respite of Rush Hour
• 4,500 program books have been printed and distributed
• 49 musicians have already performed
• 8,000 visitors have explored our website, rushhour.org

And, the final “statistic” that intersects with all of the above: the 30 pairs of hands helping to produce each weekly Rush Hour concert event – our volunteers!

Rush Hour’s volunteers are critical to its success. Each one freely offers to take part in the Rush Hour enterprise; each one, an important cog in a large production wheel. Our audience thanks our artists weekly for bringing the magic of great, live music to the magnificent space of St. James; I thank our volunteers for helping to make that experience possible for our audiences.

As we continue to serve the successful growth of Rush Hour, we need increased ranks in our volunteer base. My heartfelt gratitude to each of those “30 pairs of hands.” And my thanks in advance to any and all that decide to join this remarkable group of people in the future!

- Deborah Sobol
Artistic Director

Contact Concert Manager Ariela Rotenberg at ariela AT rushhour.org or call 773.338.9480 to sign up or to get more information about volunteering for Rush Hour.

8/4 – Concert Recap

This week, Rush Hour presented “BAROQUEFEST.” Oboist Eugene Izotov, cellist Brant Taylor, and organist David Schrader delighted the crowd of over 500 attendees with their performance of G.B. Platti’s Sonata in C minor and G.F. Handel’s Oboe Concerto No. 3 in G minor.

Organist David Schrader, cellist Brant Taylor, and oboist Eugene Izotov warming up before the concert

Deborah Sobol interviewing Tuesday’s musicians for the 10th episode of podcast series Rush Hour Conversations

Audience members enjoying the pre-concert reception

The pipes and keys of Tuesday’s organ

Thoughts from the Executive Director: The Value of the Rush Hour Experience

We believe that classical music events should:

• be accessible to all audiences
• be relevant to contemporary lifestyles
• provide regular access to aesthetic nourishment
• foster a sense of community

The Rush Hour staff, board, advisors, and artists hold the above mentioned truths to be self-evident.  Within Rush Hour’s mission statement and philosophy lay the best arguments for supporting the series.

Rather than charge for tickets and a reception, Rush Hour provides 13 free, unique concert events every summer. The Rush Hour community has undoubtedly noticed two striking differences this year: before a single note is played in August, we have already hosted more audience members and artists than any of our previous seasons.

The increase in audience and artists costs money, and we have one final challenge to surmount—to earn our full operating budget before the doors close on the 2009 season. We have about $20,000 left, plus $2,500 of our “under 40” challenge grant. If you have made a pledge already, please fulfill it today.

Each $25 gift represents the equivalent of one ticket to a similar concert event. (In fact, I think you would be hard pressed to find a $25 concert experience that includes wine and snacks, let alone the indefinable aesthetic nourishment Rush Hour provides!) A Rush Hour Circle gift of $1,000 pays for 40 guests to fully enjoy a concert event. In fact, when considering my own gift to Rush Hour, I enjoy thinking about the number of people I’ve virtually “hosted” in this way. My gift also helps ensure that Rush Hour will perpetuate the customs and spirit of listening to classical music in beautiful public spaces.

As we embark upon the last month of Rush Hour’s 10^th anniversary season, I urge you who enjoy these events so much—our audience—to make a gift now to help us end our season in the black, ready to plan for and execute the 2010 season of free classical music events—and beyond.

Please think about the value of your experience, and make a gift of $25, $50, or $100 today. We thank you for making Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral part of your life.

- Megan Balderston
Executive Director

7/28 – Concert Recap

This week Rush Hour celebrated its 10th season and Felix Mendelssohn’s 200th birthday with cake, balloons, and savory snacks from Trader Joe’s. Violinist Qing Hou, cellist Paula Kosower, and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang honored the composer’s birthday with a performance of his Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49.

Violinist Qing Hou, cellist Paula Kosower, and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang rehearse before the concert

Balloons celebrating 10 years of Rush Hour

Artistic Director Deborah Sobol interviews the artists for a new episode of podcast series Rush Hour Conversations

Volunteer usher Bob Friedli dons a party hat to celebrate Rush Hour and Mendelssohn’s birthday

Thoughts from the Executive Director: Why 30 Minutes?

Here we are at the middle of the 2009 season. This season marks 10 years of Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral in our lives and yours, and that is something to celebrate! So while you’re settling in and savoring your last bite of birthday cake, I’d like to address a question I have been surprised with several times this year: “WHY are the concerts only 30 minutes long?” It’s a simple question with many answers.

My answer is that I like to think I’m a rebel. After all, I don’t always remember to floss and occasionally leave a dish in the sink overnight. The thought of doing things that bend the rules a bit leaves me breathless. Rush Hour is “bendy!” Sneak out of work “early” at 5:15: check! Sip a free glass of wine and delicious snacks: check! Hear a free, world-class concert: check again! Why, if you’re careful, you can be on a train and get home right around the regular time with a secret smile on your face, and no one the wiser.

Here are some of the other answers, culled from observations and conversations with patrons, artists, and staff.

It’s by design:
Rush Hour is “Great Music for Busy Lives.” Rush Hour was designed specifically to meet the needs of people who cannot afford to take the time or expense to participate in classical chamber music—and by that I mean taking two to four hours over a leisurely evening, going to dinner, paying for parking and a babysitter—whatever it is. In as much time as you might slip into a coffee shop, read a section of the paper and sip your favorite brew, you can come to Rush Hour and incorporate great music into your life.

It’s spontaneous:
Rush Hour is an entry point to classical music, in a traditional setting. It’s a minimal investment of time, but it’s meaningful: so much so that I often meet someone who stumbled across it the first time and then keeps coming back. Occasionally these are people who were avid musicians in high school or college and are coming back to the fold, so to speak. But sometimes they’re people who enjoy the peace and the love of that solitary hour each week. Would that person walk in the door for a longer concert? Hard to know, but I believe that “I’ll just drop by” has hooked many people into returning again and again.

It’s logistics:
But wait, there’s more. It’s not enough for us to present the opportunity. We also go to great and sometimes ridiculous lengths to secure musicians you will see performing in exalted venues throughout the world. For example, whenever we bring together our large “cello celebration,” it’s a foregone conclusion that most of that group will be racing off to perform elsewhere as soon as the concert is over. What I see is that the mission of Rush Hour—to provide free access to great music and artists—is so important to these wonderful artists that they work it into their schedules, and help us in every way to honor our tight budget and shorter performance times. (All while connecting with you on a personal level!) Everyone wins.

It’s the best kind of appetizer:
Some have said, hold on now! I love classical music, I’m a connoisseur of it, I come to Rush Hour because I know that I will hear things like the Gran Partita performed by great artists, and it’s not fair that you will give me a taste of this and then send me on my way.

A perfectly done appetizer can take the edge of your hunger, activate your taste buds, and get you ready for dinner. But sometimes, an appetizer is all you need. When you’re hungry, the first bite is far better than any subsequent one.

I have both the attention span of a cocker spaniel and a deep love for beautiful music, so that 30 minutes of great music often satisfies me perfectly. I get excited when I know that I would gladly sit still for another hour or so to listen. So, I go to dinner with a friend. I put the CD on in my car. I start a conversation. I recognize that we have to grab the perfect moments as they come. It’s no coincidence that a show business adage is “Leave them wanting more.” (I’m delighted that you do.)

It’s “turning off” for 30 minutes:
Most of us feel we must respond to every message and phone call immediately. Though none of my “time-saving” technology connects me to a button that will detonate a nuclear device or change the course of humankind, it seems that letting my battery run out on the Blackberry—being unreachable—is quite possibly a criminal act.

But I gleefully turn that darned thing off so that I can relax into a concert and what’s more, I take a strange delight in admonishing all the rest of you to do so. As the mother of two and a busy professional, it is unrealistic for me to think I can unplug completely. But I can afford a 30 minute rebellion, and I know that you can as well.

Some of the best moments in my life have been fleeting, but seem suspended in time and space while they are happening. Rush Hour has created this feeling in me many times—and those moments that touch my soul have done as much for me as 3 hours of something else. All too often, we tell ourselves that we are too busy to eat right, to exercise, to take a 10 minute break, or to simply take a deep breath and enjoy those around us. Taking the extra few minutes to make a meal from start to finish, or walk the dog, or have coffee with an old friend are the kinds of simple joy that life is ultimately all about.

We know you’re busy because we are too. And like us, you may hunger for more beauty in your lives. But I also know that every summer Tuesday evening between 5:15 and 6:15 p.m., I have a respite that is just right; a guilty pleasure that even I can’t really feel guilty about.

Thank you for celebrating this wonderful 10th anniversary with us, 30 minutes at a time.

- Megan Balderston
Executive Director