Looking Back on Rush Hour 2006

There's much to be said at the end of such a wonderful experience as this year's season of Rush Hour Concert. However, for now I invite you to simply join us in remembering the season. Back at the beginning of the summer, the RH staff took some time to introduce ourselves to you:

Andrew
Lia
Sarah

Our Founder and Artistic Director Deborah Sobol has taken time each week to write a post for the blog as well:

Art Songs vs. Rock Songs
How Did Rush Hour Begin?
Connections Made Through Musical Diversity
Folk Music of China Q&A
How Do Rush Hour Programs Come Into Being?
Staff (Re-)Introductions
Inventions on Inventions
What is a "World Premiere?"
Thanks for a Great Season!

There have been some thought-provoking posts, and just plain fun things we've found and have wanted to share with everyone in our audience:

What Do You Think of When Someone Says Mozart?
Awesome Music
Media Spotlight
Bittersweet Chocolate Cake
Rush Hour on WTTW

We've profiled some integral member of the Rush Hour community both at the concerts and here on the blog:

Jackie Lee, Volunteer Bartender
Henry, St. James Cathedral Sexton
Chuck, Head Usher
Anstiss Krueck, Board Member
Davide, Utility Infielder
Kristin Lunardini, Marketing Guru
Bruce Barber, Director of Cathedral Music

And lastly, how could we forget the concerts themselves? Spend some time reminiscing with us, let us know which were your favorite concerts, and what are your best memories of Rush Hour Concerts 2006. See you next summer!

June 6: Haydn Trio in G Minor
June 13: Mozart's 250th Birthday Celebration
June 20: Dvorak "American" String Quartet
June 27: Songs from Great Britain
July 4: Fireworks for Organ
July 11: Music of Enriquez, Galindo, and Revueltas
July 18: Debussy Violin & Cello Sonatas
July 22: RH at the Dragon Boat Races
July 25: Folk Music of China
August 1: Bon Appetit!
August 8: Mozart Trio in G Major, KV 496
August 15: Inventions on Inventions
August 22: CINCO Brass Quintet
August 29: Brahms Liebslieder ("Lovesong") Waltzes, Op. 52

Season Finale: Brahms Lovesong Waltzes

Once again, a hearty thank you to everyone who came to Rush Hour throughout the season. Those of you who came to our season finale on August 29 experienced a very special concert: Germany was our last and final stop for the RH 2006 season, and to celebrate, four world-class vocalists presented the Brahms Lovesong Waltzes, accompanied by four-hand piano. Audience members enjoyed special pastries provided by Chicago's Austrian Bakery during the reception. We couldn't have hoped for a better ending to a fabulous season. Thank you, one and all!


Artist Emliy Lodine, Director of Cathedral Music Bruce Barber, violinist Bernard Zinck (whom you might remember from the Debussy violin and cello sonatas concert), and artist Carole FitzPatrick enjoy some refreshments at the reception before the concert begins.


Board member (and sometime RH volunteer) Arun Eapen enjoys the pre-concert reception with his friends Eric and Minette.


Stephen and Martha Anne are RH regulars who live right down the street from St. James Cathedral and consider RH "a neighborhood treasure."


From left to right: pianist Deborah Sobol, pianist Kuang-Hao Huang, RH Managing Director (and resident page-turner) Julie Hutchison, soprano Carole FitzPatrick, tenor Harold Brock, baritone Jeffrey Strauss, and mezzo-soprano Emily Lodine performing in front of the beautiful Keiskamma Altarpiece.


The gang's all here! The RH staff, from left to right: RH staffer Davide Pezzini, Jason McCabe of DickinsonGroup, volunteer bartender Jackie Lee King, RH Managing Director Julie Hutchison, RH staffer Lia DeRoin, RH staffer Sarah Scanlon, Kristin Lunardini of DickinsonGroup, RH staffer Andrew Mall, St. James Cathedral Head Sexton Henry Leach, RH Founder and Artistic Director Deborah Sobol, and Director of Cathedral Music Bruce Barber. Thanks again for a wonderful season!

Spotlight on Bruce Barber, Director of Cathedral Music

Bruce Barber, Director of Cathedral Music at St. James Cathedral, has been associated with Rush Hour since coming to the Cathedral in 2004. Part of the Cathedral's mission is to build a solid bridge between the Cathedral and the surrounding community through radical, outrageous hospitality, and Rush Hour Concerts serves as one of these bridges.

Although Bruce has been involved in both the building and running of major music programs (in both parish and cathedral) around the country, never had he encountered a series of concerts that took place in the summer, every week, during the busy time of rush hour! While he was truly amazed upon first hearing of Rush Hour Concerts, Bruce has been even more amazed with the series' growth just during the few short years he has been involved.

Bruce is responsible for overssing all of the music making requirements of both the Cathedral and the Diocese which include such things as conducting the Cathedral Choir, arranging the Cathedral Concert Series, and the Choral Services Series. He give recitals, both on solo organ and on organ and violin, with violinist Bernard Zinck, who has performed at Rush Hour numberous times. He also teaches private organ lessons, leads choral workshops, and performs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on occasion -- both making music and planning the making of music keeps him quite busy!

A chamber music lover at heart, the only thing that could keep Bruce from attending Rush Hour is “Vacation! And nothing else!”