The North Shore Music Association is delighted to announce that, three years after their last concert, the Borealis Chorale & Orchestra (BCO) has reconvened and is excited to perform for the community. In 2020 this cherished Cook County tradition, which began in the 1950s, was upended when the pandemic made it unsafe for vocalists, instrumentalists, and the public to gather. It is now time for the concert and the tradition to resume!

Some big news this year is new leadership for the BCO. Former director William Beckstrand writes, “I had the great privilege of directing these concerts for a decade, after B.J. Muus asked me to take the helm. Now, it is time for another passing of the baton, into the able hands of Karina Roth. Karina’s musical gifts and leadership are a natural fit for the group.” NSMA and the BCO express our sincere thanks to Bill for his gift of musical leadership, as we warmly and enthusiastically welcome Karina.

This year’s concerts, featuring over 75 talented Cook County singers and musicians, are a tribute to the considerable talents of Beckstrand and Muus. The program will include William Beckstrand’s compositions “The Mystical Rose,” “People Look East,” “What Greeting This,” and “Lord Our God (Herre Gud).” Pieces by B.J. Muus will be “Come Thou Savior of Our Race” and “Come Unto Him.”  “There Shall a Star from Jacob,” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Mary Had a Baby,” by Craig Courtney, and “Eatnemen Vuelie (Song of the Earth),” by Frode Fjellheim, and other seasonal selections will round out the program.

Since 2013, an affiliation with the North Shore Music Association has helped the BCO to expand opportunities for community participation in choral and orchestral music. Truly a community-sustained tradition, the BCO is also sustained by donations from Cook County residents and visitors. These contributions allow the director to purchase music for the chorus and orchestra and, at times, to pay visiting musicians who fill in gaps. BCO concerts are free, but giving to the BCO ensures that this beloved tradition can continue each year. Please give if you can!