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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
CSO hires a new chorus director; cancels next season's MusicNOW series
This week, Symphony Center saw a one-two punch of good news and bad news. On Tuesday, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced that Donald Palumbo, the former chorus master of the Metropolitan Opera, would lead its award-winning chorus on an initial three-year contract — a cheering development for an ensemble that has been without a director since 2022. That was followed on Thursday by word that MusicNOW, the CSO's contemporary music series, would be 'paused' next season. A statement from Cristina Rocca, the orchestra's vice president for artistic planning, said the organization intended to 'imagine new possibilities for connecting Chicago audiences with new music.' Once the domain of the CSO's composer-in-residence, MusicNOW programming is typically unveiled after the bulk of season programming has been announced. Instead, series subscribers were notified of the cancellation via a mailer. Palumbo will prepare the 2025-26 season's previously announced Chicago Symphony Chorus programs: Mozart's Requiem (Nov. 20-23), an Italian operatic potpourri conducted by music director emeritus Riccardo Muti (March 19-21, 2026) and Poulenc's 'Gloria' (May 14-16, 2026). He will also work with the chorus for 'Merry, Merry Chicago!', a CSO holiday tradition (Dec. 19-23). Palumbo spoke with the Tribune by phone between sessions with young singers at Lyric Opera's Ryan Opera Center. Rehearsals were well underway with the Chicago Symphony Chorus for Verdi's Requiem (June 19-24), his debut as chorus director designate. 'The rehearsals of the Verdi have gone really, really well so far,' Palumbo says. 'If I sound like a kid in a candy store, well, I kind of am.' Palumbo is only the third director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus in its nearly 70-year history. At 76, his tenure will doubtlessly be shorter than predecessors Duain Wolfe and founding director Margaret Hillis, the latter leading the chorus for a whopping 37 seasons. But Palumbo — whose remarkable career trajectory saw him ascend from being a primarily self-taught hobbyist musician to the most in-demand choral director in the country — says he's approaching the job like any other. 'I'm going to do my job, and it's going to go on as long as I'm doing a good job, I want to do it, and they want me,' he says. Palumbo's résumé made him a contender to watch after Wolfe's mid-season departure from the chorus in 2022. Prior to his appointment at the Met, the country's most storied opera house, Palumbo directed the Lyric Opera chorus from 1991 to 2007. He is still a known quantity to scores of local singers, including some who sang under him during his Lyric tenure. 'He prepares you in such a way that you feel so understanding of the piece of music that you're doing,' says Chicago Symphony Chorus alto Emily Price, whom Palumbo also hired to the Lyric Opera Chorus in his final season there. 'The language is so important, and the intensity of each line has to be so specific.' Palumbo's preparation of the chorus for two Muti-led programs in 2022 and 2023 — an unstaged 'Un ballo in maschera' and Beethoven's 'Missa solemnis,' respectively — sealed the deal. Muti made his affinity for Palumbo known when, after 'Missa solemnis,' the outgoing CSO music director implored Palumbo to consider leading the chorus 'permanently' in onstage remarks. 'That was very unexpected,' he recalls, laughing. But in time, the prospect began to make natural sense. Palumbo feels he'd done his time in the opera world, where margins are getting ever tighter. At this stage in his career, he prefers to focus on the music — a stated position of Muti, once again his collaborator in the forthcoming Verdi Requiem concerts. The CSO post, Palumbo says, allows him to get down to fundamentals. 'I was just in Japan for a month doing a 'Traviata' production with a chorus of young singers. … I told them, 'For better or for worse, this could be my very last 'Traviata,' and it's your first,'' he says. 'It's a progression.' The appointment comes at a time when the CSO is in need of steady leadership. Klaus Mäkelä, the CSO's music director designate, does not begin his term at the organization until 2027. While he continues to spearhead orchestral hires, Mäkelä did not participate in Palumbo's search committee, owing to the timing of his own appointment, in 2024. 'When we engaged Klaus, we informed him of any number of things artistically that were going on here, including the search for a new chorus director. Knowing that he wouldn't be working with the full chorus for quite a while, he agreed that we should just move ahead and have the committee make the selection,' says CSO president Jeff Alexander. Mäkelä will, however, be part of Palumbo's renewal talks in 2028, which were intentionally timed to the end of Mäkelä's first season. Though Mäkelä and Palumbo are not working together next season, Alexander confirmed they would begin working together on programs beginning in the 2026-27 season. The CSO has pointed to the same contractual awkwardness in its curtailing of MusicNOW, its contemporary music series. Last year, the CSO did not appoint a composer-in-residence, citing the interregnum between music directors Muti and Mäkelä, who have hiring power over the position. (Despite this, the CSO filled a similar gap between Muti and former music director Daniel Barenboim 20 years ago with a twin appointment of composers Osvaldo Golijov and Mark-Anthony Turnage.) Alexander reaffirmed the CSO's commitment to hiring a new composer-in-residence, 'probably' during Mäkelä's first season in 2027-28. But he acknowledged that MusicNOW, or anything like it, may not be under that person's aegis. 'It may still include some curation of some kind regarding our contemporary music offerings, and the rest will probably remain pretty much the same: writing a new piece for the orchestra each year, et cetera,' Alexander says. Above all, economic factors prevailed. Alexander noted that MusicNOW — essentially a chamber series featuring members of the CSO — tended to follow the ticket-sale trends of those programs, filling just a fraction of Orchestra Hall's capacity. That's despite having costs not usually associated with those programs, like music licensing fees or guest artist expenses. (Featured composers and, occasionally, soloists and conductors were typically flown out for the series.) Instead, Alexander signaled that a short-term strategy may be to program more contemporary music on the CSO's mainstage. Though the CSO's 2025-26 season includes just one premiere (Matthew Aucoin's 'Song of the Reappeared' in December), subscription concerts feature works by 16 living composers: Camille Pépin, Carlos Simon, Thea Musgrave, Unsuk Chin, Jörg Widmann, Paquito d'Rivera, Gabriella Smith, Kevin Puts, Joel Thompson, Jennifer Higdon, Erkki-Sven Tüür, John Adams, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Hisaishi and former CSO composer-in-residence Jessie Montgomery. 'The word we're using is 'pause,' because, as we thought about it, we're a symphonic organization first of all,' Alexander says. 'If we put a contemporary piece on a CSO subscription program and it's performed three times, on a good week, 6,000 people are hearing it. If we put it on a MusicNOW concert, maybe 300 people were hearing it. … Part of our thinking is, let's beef up the contemporary offerings on the CSO main (series). Cautiously, of course. But more than normal.' Rocca's written statement went on to say that 'conversations with the artistic planning team' and Mäkelä 'are underway to guide future plans' for contemporary music programming at the CSO.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Hospice Niagara launches Mega 50/50 lottery to support palliative care
Hospice Niagara has unveiled a new fundraising initiative, the Niagara Mega 50/50 lottery, aimed at enhancing support for palliative care services across the region. Building upon the legacy of the former 5 Car Draw, Mega 50/50 offers ticket holders more frequent draws and larger prizes. Tickets are available on the Mega 50/50 website . 'Every ticket helps Hospice Niagara continue to provide compassionate care, completely free of charge, to people and families across Niagara,' said Alicia Merry, director of marketing and fund development. Ticket bundles range from $20 for a single entry to $175 for 500 tickets, a pricing option inspired by the 5 Car Draw. Once a ticket is purchased, it is entered into all remaining draws even if the buyer has already won. Early bird draws for $10,000 in cash are on May 27, June 24, July 22 and Aug. 19. A grand prize draw for a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado is on Sept. 9, followed by a final jackpot draw on Sept. 12. The 5 Car Draw, which ran for 16 years, was a significant fundraiser for Hospice Niagara. In its final year, the draw offered more than $242,000 in prizes, including five new vehicles. Money raised by Mega 50/50 will support essential hospice programs, including in-home palliative care, emotional and medical support at the end of life and grief counselling for all ages. Hospice Niagara operates a 10-bed residential hospice in St. Catharines and provides care for more than 1,400 patients annually. That reach is expected to grow significantly with the opening of two new hospice residences. Walker House in Welland is to open this fall, and Willson House in Fort Erie is planned for 2026. 'Play with purpose,' said Merry. 'Every ticket is a chance to win and a way to help people live well, no matter what life presents.' More information about the fundraiser or ways to buy tickets can be found on the fundraiser website .
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
New law will offer the right to a good death
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur addresses the assisted dying bill debate in the Scottish Parliament (Picture:Jeff) Growing up in Canada in the 1960s, my mother had a school friend called Merry. While they lost contact for a time, decades later, travel and technology brought them back together, until in 2019 Merry received news that she had a Glioblastoma – a rare and incurable brain cancer. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Tragically, Merry understood the terrible pathology of this cancer, because she had lost her husband to the same disease some years previously. Over time she had seen it rob him of his personality, his bodily function and his mind. She immediately knew that she would not let it do the same to her. And so it was, just a few months later in a hospice rooftop garden, Merry ended her life in the Vancouver sunshine. At that moment of her choosing, my mother and her other friends, thousands of miles away, held Merry in the light of their love until she was free of it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In my nine years as a member of the Scottish Parliament, there isn't a single vote or decision I've been involved in that has elicited more correspondence from my constituents in West Edinburgh than last week's vote on assisted dying. I respect the views of all of those who have written to me and I think it's important that I set out where I stand. Since before politics, I've been an advocate for a change in the law to allow terminally ill adults, who have mental capacity, the right to end their lives in dignity. For me, this is about rights and agency. In Scotland today we have both in almost every aspect of our adult life, save one – that is our departure from it. I want to know that if I'm dying in pain, beyond the reach of palliative care, that I would have the right to say, 'this far and no further' and to end my suffering at a time of my choosing. So, I was delighted when my friend and Lib Dem colleague Liam McArthur's Assisted Dying Bill, passed the first stage of the parliamentary process last week – and by a much bigger margin than expected. We aren't pioneers in this. The right to die is already offered to people in over 30 jurisdictions the world over and Liam's bill is informed by decades of best practice. He has deliberately chosen a model for this bill which offers the most stringent safeguards. To be eligible, a person would need to be diagnosed by two separate doctors as having an advanced terminal illness and the mental capacity to make the decision. They would have to be made aware of all treatment options available and tests for coercion would take place. At the same time, any medic who doesn't wish to take part, can opt out. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The decades of experience we are leaning into here show that provision for assisted dying does not come at the expense of palliative care. If anything, it is complimentary to it and is seen as the final tool in the drawer. Many prescriptions actually go unused but provide comfort as an option should the pain become too great. Palliative care is amazing, we need more of it, and we need to make it accessible everywhere. But it alone cannot master all pain. As such too many Scots are being denied the right to a good death. Liam's bill will change that. Alex Cole-Hamilton is Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and MSP for Edinburgh Western
The Independent
03-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Should the royal family reconcile with Prince Harry? The public have their say
Members of the public have been having their say over whether the royal family should reconcile with Prince Harry after an emotional BBC interview in which he sought to repair a fractured relationship. In a range of interviews conducted in central London, the prevailing mood was in favour of the Duke of Sussex reuniting with his father, after he revealed he is no longer in contact with the King. 'It seems a shame that they can't all make amends as a family,' said nurse Merry, 54, while tech company worker Andres, 40, gave an American perspective on the rift, saying: 'To me, it feels like he's still part of that family. 'So at least on from the American side, we all see it that way.'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Alaskan Bush People's Noah Accuses Mom and Sister Rain of ‘Doing Meth' After Welfare Check: Report
Alaskan Bush People star Noah Brown called police to conduct a welfare check on his mom, Ami Brown, and sister Merry Christmas Kathryn Raindrop 'Rain' Brown, accusing them of abusing meth just days before his sibling's burglary arrest. 'Noah Brown reported the following: Mother is 'couch surfing' with her daughter Brown, Merry (Rain) and daughter's aggressive boyfriend Lorton, Josiah at a cabin in Liar's Cove,' the court papers read, according to The U.S. Sun on Monday, April 28. '[Noah] has tried contacting his mother after receiving a 'disjointed message' last night and heard she has been drinking a lot and she is now taking meth that was given by Merry and Josiah.' The welfare check was conducted on April 7 and Noah claimed his mother, 61, was 'off her meds' and that her condition was "deteriorating." In Touch previously reported that Ami was medically evacuated and diagnosed with pneumonia on February 13. 'Merry is not allowing her to take her medications. Lorton also has guns and is not supposed to have them,' the court papers alleged. Noah was contacted by officers on April 8, who said they tried to get in contact with his mother but were only able to discover that she 'might be' with Rain, 22, and her husband, Josiah Lorton. 'Noah suggested that Merry struggles to keep up with taking her medication and thinks that anybody who tries to force her to take it is the devil. Noah continued to explain that Josiah is known to always be armed,' the officer reported. 'Additionally, Noah explained that Merry had also taken a pistol from him. Noah didn't want to list it as stolen but wanted me to be cautious when attempting to contact her.' The officer reported speaking to a man, who is believed to have met Rain and Josiah, 33, at a job site. The man offered to let the couple stay at his home as the couple appeared to be living out of their car. 'I asked him if he had noticed anything that Josiah and Merry might have had with them. He advised that Josiah and Merry had a large 'diaper bag' full of pills,' the report read. In Touch confirmed that Rain and Josiah were booked into the Okanogan County jail in Washington State on April 11, according to jail records. They were released three days later on April 14 and weren't required to post bail, but promised to appear for their next scheduled court date. Rain was booked under her full legal name, Merry Christmas Kathryn Raindrop Brown. In addition to the burglary and mischief charges, she was also hit with a third charge of second-degree criminal trespass. Rain spoke out after her arrest on Easter Sunday while sharing a bible quote. In the caption, she seemingly hinted at what might have led to her and Josiah getting arrested. 'It hurts my heart that my rainbows would choose to believe the lies that my old manager who stole $43,000 from me and abused me instead of maybe thinking 'Oh no who is saying this about Rain?' Not 'wow what a waste,'' she claimed in her caption. 'It deeply hurts my heart. With all this said I hope y'all will stick around to hear my side of the story."
