Community Partner Spotlight: St. James Cathedral

Known to many Rush Hour fans as simply the magnificent venue for each summer Tuesday’s concerts, St. James Cathedral is much more – a true partner in every sense of the word. St. James is known throughout Chicago as a “beacon of hospitality” and has provided space and staff assistance to Rush Hour for each of its concert events for the last eleven years.

There are a multitude of public events that take place at the Cathedral year-round, from Thursday neighborhood nights in the Cafe and the annual pet blessing in October to the Let’s Talk About It forums and the Cathedral Music series. St. James welcomes you to two major events of note in the coming weeks:

St. James Cathedral “Be Opened Night”
Tuesday, October 19
6:00-9:00 p.m. $75/person
The Allerton Hotel

St. James Cathedral’s inaugural “Be Opened Night” features all you can eat and drink at the Allerton Hotel’s historic Tip Top Tap ballroom, accompanied by the musical strains of St. James Cafe favorites Leandro Varady and Marguerite Mariama.

Tickets are available at 65 E. Huron and online.
For more information, call Ann Ryba at 312.787.7360.

St. James Cathedral Music Series

Continue to enjoy great music this fall and winter at the Cathedral. Bruce J. Barber II, St. James’ Director of Cathedral Music, has created a superb series of concerts starting in October. Stay tuned to the St. James website or call Bruce Barber at 312.751.6724 for more details on the opening concert.

Rush Hour’s 11th season was rich in community partners!  Click here to see a full list of Rush Hour’s creative collaborators.

New This Fall: Rush Hour Encores

Rush Hour is pleased to announce the launch of “Rush Hour Encores” on Sundays at the Mayne Stage in Rogers Park, in partnership with WFMT.

Beginning in October, your favorite artists will be performing encores of their 2010 Rush Hour programs monthly at 11 a.m. at the Mayne Stage.

Experience the concerts again, or listen in as the concerts are broadcast live on WFMT 98.7 FM and streaming online.  Visit rushhour.org or maynestage.com for more information.

Volunteers: You Make it Happen!

Rush Hour extends a special thank you to its extraordinary summer volunteer team!  This summer Rush Hour had over 30 volunteers sharing their time and talent weekly serving refreshments at pre-concert receptions, ushering, and helping behind the scenes of each concert event.  Their dedication helped ensure that Rush Hour remained free and accessible to all.

What is it like to be a Rush Hour volunteer? Click here to watch our video on “The Volunteer Experience.”

You can make a difference now: Rush Hour needs volunteer support year-round!

If you have even one hour per month, we can use your help with mailings and special events in the off-season. For more information, contact me at 773.338.9480 or eliza AT rushhour.org

- Eliza Warren
Marketing & Development Associate

8/31 – Concert Recap

Rush Hour celebrated its 11th season finale with a stunning performance of Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D minor (“Death and the Maiden”) by the Euclid Quartet. The concert was dedicated to the legacy of Norman Pellegrini and was sponsored in part by the NIB Foundation.

Jacob Murphy, violin (left); Luis Vargas, viola (center left); Si-Yan Darren Li, cello (center right); and Jameson Cooper, violin (right) of the Euclid Quartet discuss their program with Artistic Director Deborah Sobol (far right)

Rush Hour supporters (from left to right) Mark & Chase Levey and Richard & Mary Gray connect with Rush Hour Artistic Director Deborah Sobol (center) during the pre-concert reception.

An Argo Tea team member prepares samples at the pre-concert reception. Additional refreshments were provided to a capacity crowd by Trader Joe’s and included cheese and crackers, strawberries and madeleine cookies.

Rush Hour volunteer and fanfare member Peter Graening greets concertgoers near a donation box inside the Cathedral. Rush Hour is currently only 1% away from meeting its season fundraising goal!

Members of the Euclid Quartet pose for a picture with Artistic Director Deborah Sobol after receiving a standing ovation for their inspired performance, which closed Rush Hour’s 2010 season.

Rush Hour volunteers Mark Raymo (left) and Chuck Hamilton (right) smile together at a post-concert reception honoring Rush Hour’s dedicated volunteer team and major supporters.  Rush Hour needs volunteer assistance year-round; visit rushhour.org/volunteer for information on how to get involved.

8/24 – Concert Recap

Quintet Attacca and guest bass clarinetist Emily Marlow took to the stage at St. James Cathedral this week for a performance of Leoš Janáček’s youthful Mladi. The concert was sponsored in part by the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago.

(Pictured from left to right) Jennifer Clippert, flute; Erica Anderson, oboe; Jeremiah Frederick, horn; Emily Marlow, bass clarinet; Collin Anderson, bassoon; and Barbara Drapcho, clarinet. Leoš Janáček’s Mladi is a rare example of music composed for a wind sextet.

Frantisek Gal, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago (left), chats with concertgoers during the pre-concert reception. In addition to consular partnerships, individual contributions are an important part of producing weekly concerts. Check out our website to learn how your donation can help Rush Hour continue to keep concerts free and open to all.

Rush Hour Advisory Committee member T.J. Ferrantella (left) meets with Rush Hour volunteer Chuck Hamilton (right) during the pre-concert reception.

Rush Hour volunteer Jori Swift (left) connects with a concertgoer at the fanfare Happy Hour following this week’s concert. Joining fanfare is a great way for under-40 concertgoers to network with other young professionals and become more involved with Rush Hour.