Fourth Presbyterian Church

Fourth Presbyterian Churchpresents

Saturday, December 19, 2020 • 5:00 p.m.

Gloria in Excelsis from Gloria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonio Vivaldi | arr. Charles Schuchat Good Christian Friends, Rejoice . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Praetorius | arr. Aaron David Miller

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come . . . . . . . . . Johann Pachelbel | arr. Christine Worthing

Noel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louis-Claude Daquin

The Bells of Speyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ludwig Senfl | arr. Erich Peterson

Three Sleigh Rides . . . . . . . . . . . Leopold and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sergei Prokofiev. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arr. Charles Schuchat

O Holy Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adolphe Adam | arr. Aaron David Miller

March from The Nutcracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | arr. Neal Berntsen

Christmas MedleyI’ll Be Home for Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter KentThe Christmas Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mel Torme and Robert WellsJingle Bells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Pierpont

O Tannenbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . German carol | arr. Aaron David Miller

Do You Hear What I Hear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloria Shayne | arr. Karen Suarez

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . French carol | arr. Keith Chapman

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas . . . . . . . . . Hugh Martin | arr. Aaron David Miller

The Twelve Days of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frederic Austin | arr. Andrew Kazdin

About Tower BrassTower Brass of Chicago has been the resident brass octet at Fourth Presbyterian Church since the group began in 1997 and is now considered one of Chicago’s finest brass ensembles . Matthew Comerford was the Artistic Director of Tower Brass from 1997 until 2020, when he was named Artistic Director Emeritus . The eight members of Tower Brass are all highly accomplished musicians and teachers, often performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Symphony, and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra .

At Fourth Church, Tower Brass performs regularly in worship services and on major holidays . They perform together in concerts and other events outside the church as well . Tower Brass has made three recordings, Horns for the Holidays, A Christmas Celebration, and Urban Litany, and has premiered numerous works commissioned for the ensemble . Tower Brass is funded through a generous endowment from the Andrew family and by many individual contributions throughout the year .

Trumpets David Inmon Matthew Lee Matt Baker

Horns Gregory Flint Karen Suarez Flint

Trombones Reed Capshaw Ignacio del Rey Tomás Biosca

Tuba Charles Schuchat

Percussion Jeffrey Handley

Organ John W . W . Sherer Organist and Director of Music

Matthew Comerford, Artistic Director Emeritus

Matt Baker (trumpet) performs regularly with the Chicago Philharmonic for mainstage concerts as well as in collaboration with the Joffrey Ballet . He has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, and as guest Principal Trumpet with both the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Illinois Symphony . Matt can be heard on the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s recently Grammy® nominated album Transatlantic. As a teacher, Matt is the trumpet instructor at Lake Forest College . A native of Novi, Michigan, Matt earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University, where he is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate . Matt is also an alumnus of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, one of the nation’s premier training orchestras .

Matthew Comerford (artistic director emeritus) is the founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Tower Brass of Chicago . He was a member of the Orchestra of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, holding the position of Co-Assistant Principal Trumpet . He auditioned for and was appointed to the Lyric trumpet section in February 1998 . Previous to Lyric, Mr . Comerford performed for four-and-a-half years as a temporary member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s trumpet section . He has been the Principal Trumpet of the Ravinia Festival Orchestra and has performed with such noted groups as the Grant Park Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, Symphony II, Concertante di Chicago, and American Ballet Theater and is a past member of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra . He has also performed with various theater orchestras, most notably in national tours of Titanic: The Musical; Les Miserables; The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber; and Phantom of the Opera. Listeners can also hear Mr . Comerford in a variety of radio and television commercials and on more than forty CDs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra .

Reed Capshaw (trombone) moved to Chicago in 1998 to complete his bachelor’s degree in trombone performance at Roosevelt University, where he studied with Chicago Symphony Principal Trombonist Jay Friedman . During Mr . Capshaw’s first year in Chicago, he had the opportunity to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, taking part in the massive brass band part of Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Since then, he has performed with several ensembles in the Chicago area, including the Grant Park Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Elgin Symphony, the Lake Forest Symphony, MusicNow, the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Symphony II (Chicago Philharmonic), and many others . He has also had the opportunity to play and tour with the Cleveland Orchestra . Mr . Capshaw is currently the Principal Trombonist of the Elgin Symphony, the South Bend Symphony, and the Lake Forest Symphony and is a member of Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra in Chicago . He completed his master’s degree at Northwestern University . Mr . Capshaw is currently teaching trombone and low brass at North Central College in Naperville, Harper College in Palatine, and at the University of Illinois at Chicago .

Ignacio del Rey Tomás Biosca (trombone), who was born in Salamanca, Spain, received both his master of music in trombone performance and his professional diploma in orchestral studies at the Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University (Chicago, EEUU), where he studied under the supervision of Jay Friedman and Reed Capshaw . He earned a bachelor’s degree in trombone perfomance at Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Castilla y Leon (Salamanca, Spain) under Professor Rubén Prades and a bachelor’s degree in computer science at University of Salamanca . In June 2010 he was admitted to the Barenboim-Said Academy of Orchestral Studies of the Regional Government of Andalusia (Seville, Spain) under Professor Martin Reinhardt (Bass Trombone of the Copenhagen Philharmonic) and Professor Tomer Maschkowski (Bass Trombone of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, Berlin), an institution at which he studied for three years . In addition, he has studied privately since 2010 with Francisco J . Rosario Vega (Principal Trombone of Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville, Spain) . He has played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Castile and Leon Symphony Orchestra, Granada Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville . He has been an Associate Member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago since 2014 .

Gregory Flint (horn) is an active performer in Chicago and the Midwest area . He performs regularly with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Grant Park Orchestra, and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra . His orchestral experience includes two full seasons as a member of both the Milwaukee Symphony and Grant Park Festival horn sections . His engagements at the Lyric have included several on-stage appearances and the complete Wagner Ring cycle . A busy chamber musician, Mr . Flint is a founding member of the Asbury Brass Quintet and hornist with the Chicago Brass Quintet . He has recorded and toured internationally with both groups . Mr . Flint became Associate Professor of Horn at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 2003, after having served on the faculties of DePaul University, Roosevelt University, and Northeastern University .

Karen Suarez Flint (horn) was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has performed with the Elgin Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Present Music of Milwaukee, Jerusalem International Symphony, and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra . Much of her performance career has been spent in the pit as part of the Les Miserables National Broadway Tour, at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Chicago productions featuring such legends as Tommy Tune, Michael Crawford, and Chita Rivera . She received a BS in music education from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree, performer’s certificate, and doctorate from the Eastman School of Music . Dr . Suarez Flint currently teaches at Carthage College .

Jeff Handley (percussion) is a highly-sought-after percussionist in Chicago . He is Principal Percussionist and Education/Outreach Program Director with Chicago Sinfonietta and Fulcrum Point New Music Project . He also performs with Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Lyric Opera, and the Grant Park Symphony . Mr . Handley has been heard with Andrea Bocelli, Peter Cetera, Dennis DeYoung, Carrie Underwood, Mannheim Steamroller, and productions of Les Miserables, Spamalot, Wicked, The Color Purple, Mary Poppins, and Shrek at the Cadillac Palace Theater and performed in Mexico City with the touring production of Mary Poppins. An active clinician and educator, he received his master of music performance degree in 1988 from DePaul University .

David Inmon (trumpet) studied trumpet with Vincent Cichowicz while earning his bachelor’s degree at Northwestern University . After an active trumpet career in his home state of Arkansas, Mr . Inmon now lives and freelances in the Chicago area . He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Lake Forest Symphony, the Northwest Indiana Symphony, and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and has recorded with the Millar Brass Ensemble .

Matthew Lee (trumpet) is an active freelance musician in the Chicago area . In addition to his duties as Principal Trumpet of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, he performs with the Chicago Sinfonietta, Tower Brass, Millar Brass Ensemble, and Chicago Brass Quintet . He frequently performs as an extra and substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago . As a soloist, Mr . Lee has performed with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago . He was the winner of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago concerto competition and performed the Concerto in D by G . P . Telemann . Howard Reich of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the performance as “light, bright . . . a real tour de force .”

Mr . Lee was also a semifinalist in the Maurice Andre International Trumpet Competition held in Paris, France, and in the New York Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York City . In addition to his active career in Chicago as a performer, Mr . Lee teaches at the DePaul University School of Music and Elmhurst College . He holds degrees from Northwestern University and Western Illinois University . His principal teachers include Vincent Cichowicz and Adolph Herseth . Mr . Lee has recorded several times with the Chicago Symphony and can be heard with the Millar Brass Ensemble on the Koss, Crystal, and Delos International Labels .

Charles Schuchat (tuba) has performed and recorded with the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, and Israel Philharmonic . He is a member of the award-winning Asbury Brass Quintet . He has participated in numerous music festivals, including the Spoleto Festival, Ravinia Festival, and Tanglewood Music Festival . While at Tanglewood he received the C . D . Jackson Award for Achievement . He spent the 1997–1998 season as Principal Tuba of the Israel Philharmonic and is currently a faculty member at both Northern Illinois and Roosevelt Universities . Mr . Schuchat is a native of Washington, D .C . He is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he studied with Arnold Jacobs .

John W. W. Sherer (organist) has since 1996 been the Organist and Director of Music for Fourth Church, which was selected by USA Today as one of the top ten places in America to be “enthralled by heavenly music .” The church has fifteen choirs and instrumental groups including the Morning Choir—a twenty-five voice professional ensemble—and Tower Brass . In 2015, Fourth Church dedicated a new 142-rank Quimby organ, the largest pipe organ in Chicago . Dr . Sherer manages an active concert series at the church with more than 100 events each year . He has led several music mission trips and choir tours in the United States, England, France, Cuba, and Guatemala, and he has performed numerous recitals throughout the United States, Japan, and England, including several for regional and national organist conventions .

In addition to his work at the church, Dr . Sherer is University Organist at North Park University in Chicago, where he teaches and plays for several major events each year, and also works with the choir of—and plays organ for—Chicago Sinai Congregation when they hold High Holy Day Services at Fourth Church . He has studied organ with David Mulbury, Roberta Gary, Thomas Murray, and John Weaver and conducting with John Leman and Walden Moore . He received two bachelor degrees, in organ performance and choral music education, from the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music . He earned two master’s degrees at Yale University, majoring in organ performance and art in religion, and received the doctor of musical arts degree from the Juilliard School .

Christmas Worship at Fourth ChurchOnline at www.bit.ly/FPCworship

Christmas Eve with Candlelight4:00 p.m. Children’s Pageant

8:00 p.m. Lessons and Carols | Shannon J. Kershner preaching

Christmas Day11:00 a.m. Christmas Day Service

Friends of Music at Fourth ChurchCreated to mark the twentieth anniversaries of both Tower Brass and our

free Friday Noonday Concert Series, the Friends of Music at Fourth Church celebrates these and our numerous other music traditions .

The Friends of Music at Fourth Church further engages our music-loving friends—both within the congregation and from the broader community—in

providing much-needed support for our music and ministry now and in the years to come .

We invite you to become a Friend of Music at Fourth Church . Those who are intersted in doing so can find information at

www.fourthchurch.org/musicfriends

Fourth Presbyterian Church 126 E . Chestnut St ., Chicago, IL 60611 .2014 312 .787 .4570 | www .fourthchurch .org

A freewill offering for this concert will be received online. The suggested donation of $20 supports the performances of Tower Brass at Fourth Church . You can make a gift

through Venmo (@Fourth-Church) or at www.fourthchurch.org/give-online

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