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Author Edna Buchanan said, "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves." As we begin the holiday season and reflect upon the many people and things we all are thankful for, our Rush Hour family tops that list.
 Our 10th anniversary season launches exactly 6 months from today (June 2, 2009). In honor of this milestone, we are launching a new series, "Rush Hour @ 10," where we will be sharing thoughts over the next months from artists, advisors, and other members of the Rush Hour family who have contributed so much to Rush Hour's success during its first decade.
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Rush Hour @ 10: Double Digits
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Ten years old is one of life's important milestones. For a child, it means "double digits" finally, and being taken more seriously - perhaps. For an arts organization, it means "double digits," and definitely being taken more seriously.
Even with all the good intentions in the world, a young arts organization is very fragile and can cease to exist after only a few years. So, as we celebrate Rush Hour Concerts being ten years old, we can be proud that we survived those first unsure steps.
Eleven years ago, my friend Deborah Sobol told me what she was going to organize: a summer series of short weekly  chamber concerts, opening always with light refreshments. She simply asked if I would be a sort of advisor, and of course I said, "Yes." (It is very hard to say "no" to Deborah.) Also, I am the ideal appreciator of music as I play no instrument, and am in total awe that anyone can read those little black bird tracks and make sense of them, much less make gorgeous sounds from them. I love to listen to music, and I figured that there were many of us out there. I was right.
Within three years, our audience began to grow: from 40 - 50 per week in the first summers, to over 400 per week in recent summers. One of the elements of which I am so proud is that this child grew with many helping hands - many individuals who both volunteered their time and gave their money, as well as the wonderful foundations and organizations who have believed in us.
 We never relied on one single individual as a sponsor, as so many fledgling groups do. They have an angel, but that angel is in reality a devilish handicap, because the strong support of one sometimes precludes the need for community ownership and support, thus preventing those baby steps from becoming strong strides.
Rush Hour has thrived, not due to an angel, but due to its own strength: the quality of the music heard - which means that, above and beyond all the hard work of the staff and supporters, it is simply that Chicagoans can hear sublime music every summer Tuesday in the afternoon.
The infant Rush Hour has grown up and is a part of the community, its arrival each summer is eagerly anticipated, and we are moving boldly forward towards our 20 year birthday!
- Anstiss Krueck,
Founding Member and Secretary,
Rush Hour Board of Directors
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Rush Hour @ 10: Everybody Wins
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As a performer, my longest-standing associations with concert organizations are the ones where "everybody wins".  By this I mean that there are wonderful colleagues to collaborate with, adequate rehearsal time, a fine performance space, and a loyal, attentive audience of people who came specifically to enjoy the music. With RH, my initial involvement came about because of prior experience with Deborah Sobol - but in some senses, I was still taking a (calculated) risk. I didn't yet know many things about what the complete experience would be. After my enjoyable initial experience, it became a given that I would always desire to perform and be a part of this group of people.
In recent years, I have greatly enjoyed my involvement with Deborah at the conceptual level, putting together some of the programs in which I am involved. We think similarly about many things musical, and it feels great to bounce ideas around and then see them come to fruition months later when the concerts happen. (Last summer's program with piano, pipa, and cello was the epitome of this: none of us knew of any program with these instruments ever having been done, anywhere. We began by reading some music together and just went from there. Ideas were proposed and several were discarded along the path to that program's realization.)
 It's hard to speak of one specific memory that is a highlight of my years playing at RH. The Beethoven Sonata in A Major that I performed with Deborah a few years back was particularly enjoyable, and the six-cello ensemble concert from the summer of 2007 was memorable because it is such a rare treat to be able to do something like that. That concert was voted the "Audience Favorite" of Rush Hour's first nine seasons, which was very gratifying - I'm so pleased that we'll be presenting an even bigger cello ensemble concert in celebration of the 10th anniversary next summer.
 I am particularly happy that RH has lasted and grown into something of real value to our city's cultural environment. Congratulations, and here's to many more years of great music!
- Brant Taylor
Rush Hour Advisory Committee member
Cellist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lincoln Quartet, & Pink Martini
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The Final Days: The Under-40 Challenge
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 Help us cross the finish line in the final month of the under-40 donor challenge.
The goal is to raise $5,000, which the Irving Harris Foundation will match, meaning your gift is doubled. All gifts will go toward Rush Hour's basic operating costs, helping keep admission and refreshments free of charge.
We have nearly met our goal but still need your help - all donations must be received by December 31, 2008 in order to apply to the match.
Choose from 3 easy and convenient ways to give:
 - Click here to make a secure online donation through PayPal (all major credit cards are accepted)
- Call the Rush Hour office at 773.338.5545 to make a credit card donation over the phone
- Mail a check payable to "Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral" with "Under-40" in the memo line to:
Rush Hour Concerts
St. James Cathedral
65 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
Please make your gift today, and help spread the word like good cheer to friends and family!
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Eat Out: Expanding the Rush Hour Experience
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 Community partner Bijan's Bistro has been offering special post-concert dinner discounts since 2005, making it a frequent stop for many of our audience members during the summer. In celebration of our 10th anniversary, we're planning to further expand the Rush Hour experience with additional dining partners, both during the summer season and during the upcoming winter and spring months.
As you know, everything at RH is created with you, the audience, in mind. To ensure that our dining partnerships continue to be successful, we need your input. Please click here to take a one-minute survey now and share your valuable opinions with us.
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Thoughts & Recommendations from the Artistic Director
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December is always frenetic. This year is no exception. It may, perhaps, break all previous records. My tried and true  antidotes to this "non-stop/never-have-enough time" condition are to give into the early darkness and chill - no, cold - in the air, to sit back and listen: to good friends and colleagues in conversation, to great music, to words of fine minds. This month, I'm sharing a bit of all three of these with you, in hopes that it will slow down your frenetic pace (in the way Rush Hour does during the long summer days). One additional tip: a glass of sherry or Grand Marnier alongside for extra inner warmth!
 My favorite music to revisit each December is Concentus Musicus Wien's recording of Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" which features the beatific voices of the Vienna Boys Choir, all under the superb direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt. It's not December in my household unless this glorious music is filling every room!  There are many old favorite books to recommend at this time of year. This year, however, I find myself enthralled in Alice Waters' wonderful volume, "The Art of Simple Food." Since a good 50% of Rush Hour each week is devoted to food and epicurean themes, I feel it's a valid entry here!
Click here for Deborah's concert recommendations >>
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