Uniting Voices

Uniting Voices (formerly the Chicago Children's Choir) is a non-profit organization, founded in 1956 at First Unitarian Church of Chicago.

Organization

Founded in Hyde Park in 1956, Uniting Voices has grown from one choir into a network of in-school and after-school programs serving nearly 5,000 students across the city of Chicago. Noteworthy faculty include Josephine Lee who currently serves as president and artistic director, Judy Hanson, senior associate artistic director, W Mitchell Owens, composer-in-residence, Lonnie Norwood, Director of Africana studies, and John Goodwin, principal pianist and resident conductor.

History

In 1956 during the Civil Rights Movement, the late Rev. Christopher Moore founded the multiracial, multicultural Chicago Children's Choir at Hyde Park's First Unitarian Church of Chicago.^[1] He believed that youth from diverse backgrounds could better understand each other - and themselves - by learning to make beautiful music together. Today, the choir is fully independent and serves all of Chicago from its home in the Chicago Cultural Center.

Distinguished singers included David Edmonds, who performed with the choir from 1970 to 1977. He sang classical, folk and spiritual pieces as lead soloist in numerous concerts, both in Chicago and on national tours. He can be heard on the choir's 1972 album Chicago Children's Choir Sings at Orchestra Hall. Edmonds also performed with the Joffrey Ballet, the Rockefeller Chapel Orchestra and Chorus, and the Bretton Woods Boy Singers. He died from AIDS complications in 1990.^[2]

Uniting Voices has performed at Ravinia Festival,^[3] Ravello Festival,^[4] Chicago Symphony Orchestra^[5], Lyric Opera of Chicago^[6], and the Kennedy Center.^[7]

Discography

Albums

• Studs Terkel interview with Christopher Moore and CCC music (1959)
• This is Rhythm (1960) (with Ella Jenkins)
• Flower Communion (1961)
• Recording at First Unitarian Church (1962-1963)
• "You'll Sing a Song and I'll Sing a Song" recording with Ella Jenkins (1966)
• "Play Your Instruments and Make a Pretty Sound" recording with Ella Jenkins (1967)
• Chicago Children's Choir Sings at Orchestra Hall (1972)
• Behold This Star (1973)
• Jambo and Other Call and Response Songs and Chants (with Ella Jenkins) (1974)
• Chicago Children's Choir In Concert (1974)
• Let George Do It (1974)
• Chicago Children's Choir Sings for Children (1976)
• It's Music (1977)
• Lift Every Voice (1981)
• Hopping around from place to place with Ella Jenkins (1983)
• April Tour Team (1985)
• June Galas Concert (1985)
• Gospel Mass (1986)
• In the Folk Tradition (1987)
• Selections from the CCC (1990)
• Songs of the Season (1991)
• June Galas (1992)
• Japan Tour Excerpts (1992)
• Children's Choral Festival (1993)
• The Thrilling Sound of the CCC (1993)
• Hop, Hop, Hop! Sing-and-Dance Songs from Ladybug (1994) (with Oriana Singers)
• Simple Gifts (1994)
• Do You Hear the People Sing (1996) (Recorded live from South Africa tour)
• 40 Years of Harmony (1997)
• Songs of the Human Spirit (c.2000)
• Spring Gala Concert (2001)
• Chicago Children's Choir Live from Vienna (2001)
• Open Up Your Heart (2004)
• You Shall Have a Song (2004)
• Sita Ram (2008)
• Songs on the Road to Freedom (2008)
• The Very Best Time of the Year: Music for the Holiday Season (c.2009)
• Holiday Harmony (2009)
• Holiday (2010)
• We All Live Here (2016)
• Harmony Anew (2019)^[8]
• "Long Way Home" (2021)^[9]

Singles

• "Multiverse" (2024)
• "Eyes on de Prize" (2024)
• "Go Tell It" (2023)
• "United" (2022)
• "Still Here" (2022)

Other appearances

• The Life and Times - Tragic Boogie (2009, Arena Rock)^[10]
• Chance the Rapper - "All We Got", "Same Drugs", "How Great", and "Finish Line / Drown" from Coloring Book (2016)^[11]

Notable Live Appearances

• Saturday Night Live - with Karol G ("Mientras Me Curo Del Cora")^[12]
• NASCAR Chicago Street Race 2024 - "America the Beautiful"^[13]

Tours

Voice of Chicago (formerly Concert Choir) tours:

• 2024 - Mexico (Oaxaca and Mexico City) - Jun. 10-16, 2024
• 2023
  • Lexington, KY - Jan. 14-17, 2023
  • Miami, FL (w/ Dimension) - Mar. 1-5, 2023
• 2022 - Egypt - Jun. 19-30, 2022
• 2020 - Los Angeles, CA - CANCELLED due to the Covid-19 pandemic - was planned for Apr. 30 - May 4, 2020
• 2019 - Spain - Jun. 20 - Jul. 1, 2019
• 2018 - Israel & Palestine - CANCELLED due to political unrest
• 2017 - Italy - Jul. 4-13, 2017
• 2016 - Havana, Cuba (last tour organized by beloved tour coordinator Beth Kershner)
• 2015 - New York City & Washington, DC
• 2014 - South Africa

Concert Choir tours:

• 2013 - India
• 2012 - Italy
• 2011 - Baltic Tour: Estonia, Finland & Latvia w/ Bobby McFerrin
• 2010 - Alaska
• 2009 - South American Tour: Argentina and Uruguay
• 2008 - South Korea
• 2007 - "Freedom Tour": Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi & Louisiana
• 2006 - Czech Republic
• 2005 - Japan
• 2004 - Canada
• 2003 - Germany
• 2002 - Japan
• 2001 - Germany, Austria & Hungary
• 2000 - Colorado
• 1999 - England, Scotland & Wales
• 1998 - Pacific Northwest & British Columbia
• 1997 - Italy, Sicily & Sardinia
• 1997 - Ukraine
• 1996 - South Africa
• 1995 - Canada
• 1994 - Russia
• 1993 - Mexico
• 1992 - Japan
• 1991 - New Orleans, Atlanta, Alabama

• 1956-1981: After Chicago Children's Choir began tours (overnight concert trips) in the mid-1960s, touring continued annually through at least 1981. Trips below that lasted less than a week are marked *. Those below lasting more than 11 days, always in summer, were Montreal I (1967: 3 wks), Boston (1969: 2 wks), and Europe (1970: 6 wks). Tours listed here all involved members of the Choir's top performance unit, designated "Senior Tour Unit" during most of this period.

• 1974-81: list incomplete
• 1981: East Coast/Ontario (Toronto)
• 1978 - East Coast (April)
• 1978 - ? (March)
• 1977 - Ohio* (November)
• 1977 - East Coast/Canada (Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal) (April) and simultaneous trip in northern Illinois*
• 1977 - Southwest (March)
• 1976 - Madison*

• 1973 - East Coast (late April)
• 1973 - Tennessee (early April)
• 1973 - New England (March: "the blizzard tour")
• 1972 - New England (April)
• 1972 - Texas (March)
• 1971 - two simultaneous April tours to different parts of the East Coast
• 1970 - England, Denmark, West Germany (June–July)
• 1970 - New York III (April)
• 1970 - Colorado? (March)
• 1969 - Minnesota* (November) and another* simultaneously
• 1969 - Boston area
• 1969 - Washington, D.C. area (April)
• 1969 - New York II (March)
• 1968 - Kentucky-Tennessee* (autumn)
• 1968 - Iowa* (May)
• 1968 - New York I (April)
• 1968 - Madison WI* (March)
• 1967 - Montreal II (October: to Expo '67)
• 1967 - Montreal I (summer: to Expo '67)
• 1966 - Indianapolis* (November)
• 1965?- Madison*
• 1964?- Southwest (Tulsa OK)

References

1. Heise, Kenan (July 7, 1987). "Christopher Moore, 57 (obituary)". Retrieved 2015-12-18.
2. Heise, Kenan (October 19, 1990). "David Edmonds, Former Choir Soloist (obituary)," Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
3. "Great Performances on PBS Premieres Ravinia's 2022 Performance of Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony". Ravinia Backstage. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
4. "Chicago Children's Choir - Wed, Jul 12, 2017 @ 18:00 - Ravello - Amalfi Coast, Italy". www.ravello.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
5. "Carmina burana | Chicago Symphony Orchestra". Experience the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
6. "Carmen". www.lyricopera.org. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
7. Schiedenhelm, Ashley (2024-04-03). "Uniting Voices Chicago youth choir is headed to Kennedy Center in D.C. - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
8. "Stream Our Music".
9. "Long Way Home".
10. "Tragic Boogie credits". Discogs.
11. "Chance the Rapper Releases New Mixtape Coloring Book". Pitchfork. 13 May 2016.
12. KarolGVEVO (2023-04-17). KAROL G - Mientras Me Curo Del Cora (Live on Saturday Night Live). Retrieved 2024-07-15 – via YouTube.
13. "Voice of Chicago Performs at NASCARChicago 2024". Uniting Voices. Retrieved 2024-07-15.