Northwest Choral Society welcomes Alan Wellman as its new Music Director

After a yearlong search process, Northwest Choral Society
welcomes Alan Wellman as its new Music Director

Alan Wellman

Mr. Wellman is pleased and proud to take the baton and conduct
his inaugural concert as the newly appointed director of the
Northwest Choral Society. Collaborative pianist Lori Lyn Mackie
will accompany the chorus.

The Northwest Choral Society (“NWCS”) will present its holiday
concert on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at Southminster
Presbyterian Church in Arlington Heights, IL and Sunday, December
5, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. at Edison Park Lutheran Church on the
northwest side of Chicago.

The holiday concert, entitled “The Christmas Star,” will begin
with the first movement of Bach’s cantata BWV 1, “How Brightly
Shines the Morning Star.” The “stellar” theme continues with
Grieg’s “Ave Maris Stella” and Lauridsen’s hauntingly beautiful “O
Nata Lux.” Familiar songs of the season include the spirituals
“Rise Up, Shepherd” and “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” and the popular
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” The concert will conclude with Benjamin
Harlan’s arrangements of familiar carols in “The Christmas
Canticles”. Audience participation is welcomed as the Northwest
Choral Society fills the sanctuaries with Yuletide song!

A complimentary preconcert lecture and discussion of the
program’s music will be hosted by chorus member John Morrison 45
minutes prior to the concert on both days.

Tickets for the “The Christmas Star” concerts are $16 for adults
and $13 for students and seniors, and may be obtained online at
www.nwchoralsociety.org, by calling 224 / 585-9127, or an hour
prior to each concert at the respective church. Southminster
Presbyterian Church is located at 916 East Central Road, Arlington
Heights and Edison Park Lutheran Church is located at 6626 North
Oliphant Avenue, Chicago.

Mr. Wellman completed a Master’s degree in choral conducting
from the California State University, Los Angeles, and has been
teaching at the Catherine Cook School in Chicago’s Old Town
neighborhood for the past six years. Previous appointments include
Music Director for the Windy City Performing Arts, First
Presbyterian Church of La Grange and the Elmhurst Maenner and Damen
choruses.

NWCS collaborative pianist Lori Lyn Mackie who will accompany
NWCS, is from Michigan, and now lives in the Chicago area. She has
studied at Interlochen, the Bay View Conservatory, the Blossom
Festival School and the Koninklijk vlaams Musiekconservatorium van
Antwerpen, Belgium. She holds Bachelor Degrees in Piano Performance
and German from Albion College and a Master Degree in Piano
Performance/Chamber/Music/Accompanying from Northwestern
University. Ms Mackie was featured in 1991, 1993, 1999 and 2008 as
piano soloist with the NWCS chorus and orchestra. She is currently
director of music at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Burbank, IL
and is pianist for Anshe Tikvah in Arlington Heights.

“The Christmas Star” is the first of three concerts the
Northwest Choral Society will perform for the 2010-2011 season.
Founded in 1965, the Northwest Choral Society is a non-profit
organization that promotes and encourages the appreciation,
understanding and performance of a wide variety of outstanding
choral literature. Its adult membership resides in Chicago and the
Northwest suburbs.

The Northwest Choral Society invites experienced singers to
audition to join the organization. Singers, from 17 to117, with
previous choral experience can obtain additional information about
the Northwest Choral Society at www.nwchoralsociety.org.