Jim Fancher has been singing with the Naperville Chorus for fifty years.
“I’ve really enjoyed the music and enjoy the camaraderie. It’s a great place to sing,” said Jim Fancher.
It’s that sense of connection that has kept him in the group since its earliest days in 1976. As the city joined in celebrating the nation’s bicentennial that year, a small group of former singers, were eager to bring choral music back to the community.
“There was no chorus in Naperville at that time,” said Fancher. “There had been one under [North Central] College but they had killed their music department for financial reasons in 1971.” So those who had been part of that group gathered about 40 voices, just enough to start a new chorus that would become the Naperville Community Chorus.
Harmony through the years
Today, that group has dropped “community” from its name, now including those in Naperville and beyond, growing into a chorus nearly three times the size. With as many as 120 members in recent years, most are amateur singers, yet the goal is anything but.
“We strive to be good,” Kelley Trombly-Freytag, a member of the chorus. “We put forth a really nice concert that people enjoy.”
Helping to guide that sound are the chorus’s director, Kevin Kelley, and accompanist / assistant director Jon Warfel, the only paid professionals, who work to blend a wide range of voices.
“Some have more training than others and some have bigger voices than others and some have new or older,” said Kevin Kelly, the chorus’ director. “So I try to get them to realize a unified sound.”
Practice makes pitch-perfect
That unity is built over months of Monday night rehearsals (and additional individual practice at home), all leading to two signature concerts each year, one in the spring and one in the winter. (The latter typically being a holiday concert in collaboration with the Pete Ellman Big Band). Their repertoire focuses on classic choral pieces but typically incorporates elements of gospel, jazz, Broadway, and other genres. The chorus hires orchestras and bands to join them in their concerts.
“For me, it doesn’t come so easily sometimes so it takes me a long time to learn the music,” said Rita Mathern. “And when finally, I’m there at the concert time, the moment happens that you feel a part of this great, big sound. It’s quite uplifting.”
The group has even taken their talents across the globe, performing in countries such as Austria, Poland, and Italy.
Giving back to the community
Back home, the music doesn’t stop at the stage. Through outreach performances, some of the members also sing at nursing homes and senior centers, bringing joy into the community.
“The people there, they start singing along with us,” said Janan Szurec, board president. “Afterwards, they’re so thankful that we came and said it really brightened their day.”
The organization also has its Naperville Chorus Scholarship Fund, something it awards to a student attending North Central College as a way of ‘promoting the advancement of choral music by investing in the youth of our musical community.’ The scholarship started in 2011.
As the Naperville Chorus is celebrating its 50th anniversary, they look forward to bringing more smiles to audiences during their April 19 concert at Wentz Concert Hall, titled Opera Choruses & Great Choral Classics. They’ll also be joining the Naperville Municipal Band for their Independence Day concert at Central Park.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
