One of the pleasures associated with my position as a member of Concordia University Chicago’s Foundation Board is the ability to participate in wonderful events that are part of the university’s activities. Such is the case this coming Monday evening. I’ll be going to a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall followed by the performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 by the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest. The evening marks the 100th anniversary of the work's world premiere in Munich in 1910. It has been 30 years since the masterpiece has been performed in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall.

The orchestra consists of 130 players along with vocalists that include Concordia’s Kapella, their premier choral performance ensemble, plus the Symphony Chorus, Chicago Chorale, Chicago Men’s A Capella, and 44 member of the Oak Park River Forest Children’s Chorus. This will bring the number of musical artists to over 300 on stage for the evening.

The roster of soloists is impressive: Sopranos Nancy Pifer, Marcy Stonikas, and Elizabeth Norman; altos Deborah Guscott and Tracy Watson; tenor Kurt Hansen; baritone Douglas Anderson; and bass Peter Van De Graaff.

The symphony combines sacred and secular texts. The first movement is a setting on the hymn Veni creator spiritus ("Come, Holy Spirit") and the second the closing scene from Goethe's drama "Faust."

The Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest is one of the oldest community orchestras in the nation, founded in 1931 by Gladys Welge. In 2004 the Illinois Council of Orchestra named it Orchestra of the Year and in 2000 named Friedman Conductor of the Year.

I’m looking forward to wonderful evening of beautiful instrumental and vocal treasurers.