Community Calendar

Commemorate loved ones at this at this special event, in partnership with Gail Borden Public Library and the City of Elgin. Vocalist José Carlos Díaz returns, and Elgin’s own BFH once again joins the ESO in this unique collaboration. This program is made possible by support from the Florence B & Cornelia A Palmer Foundation and Siegle Foundation.

Join the Elgin Master Chorale for With Malice Toward None, a breathtaking afternoon of music celebrating the resilience, beauty, and hope of the American soul — featuring special guest musicians from the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

This inspiring program includes Morten Lauridsen’s luminous Lux Aeterna, Florence Price’s stirring Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight, and Randall Thompson’s patriotic masterpiece The Testament of Freedom — works that remind us what it means to rise in unity, compassion, and strength.

Arrive early for the FREE “Beyond the Bar Lines” Pre-Concert Talk at 2:45 PM

Join EMC Maestro Andrew Lewis and special guest Bill Farina, author of Florence Price: The Life, Compositions and Influence of a Black American Composer, for a pre-concert talk and book signing in the Safety-Kleen Art Gallery. Discover the stories, history, and inspiration behind the music before experiencing it live.

The Elgin Master Chorale launches its 79th season, Voices of America, with a concert that resonates deeply with today’s world. With Malice Toward None takes the stage on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. in the Blizzard Theatre at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, featuring the Elgin Symphony Orchestra as special guests.

Inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s timeless call for unity and empathy, the program weaves together music that reflects the enduring strength of American ideals—justice, compassion, and hope in the face of division. The repertoire includes Morten Lauridsen’s luminous Lux Aeterna, Florence Price’s poignant Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight, and Randall Thompson’s rousing The Testament of Freedom.

“This concert asks what it truly means to live out the ideals that define us,” said Andrew Lewis, Music Director of the Elgin Master Chorale. “Each composer, in their own way, reaches for light in dark times, reminding us that empathy and understanding are the truest measures of a nation’s strength.”

The afternoon begins with a Beyond the Barlines pre-concert talk at 2:45 p.m. in the Safety-Kleen Art Gallery, where author Bill Farina, writer of Florence Price: The Life, Compositions and Influence of a Black American Composer, joins Maestro Lewis to explore Price’s legacy and the program’s historical resonance.

NIU Annuitants Association trip to Branson to see 6 shows, Nov 10-14. Motorcoach departs from NIU on Monday, November 10.

NIU Annuitants Association trip to Branson to see 6 shows, Nov 10-14. Motorcoach departs from NIU on Monday, November 10.

NIU Annuitants Association trip to Branson to see 6 shows, Nov 10-14. Motorcoach departs from NIU on Monday, November 10.

NIU Annuitants Association trip to Branson to see 6 shows, Nov 10-14. Motorcoach departs from NIU on Monday, November 10.

NIU Annuitants Association trip to Branson to see 6 shows, Nov 10-14. Motorcoach departs from NIU on Monday, November 10.