Background:
Bonaventure House
- a home for people with AIDS, established in 1989 by the Alexian
Brothers and the Archdiocese of Chicago. Jubilate was the happy result
of two chance meetings in 1991 aboard Europe-bound flights from Chicago.
As luck would have it, the Rev. Robert Rybicki, Bonaventure's Executive
Director, found himself seated beside American mezzo-soprano and Chicago
resident Susanne Mentzer, who was en route to her operatic engagements.
As the opera singer listened to the Reverend talk about Bonaventure's
mission, she saw in it a chance to serve a cause that was bigger than
herself - indeed one that would fill a void she had been feeling in
her life. Thus was Jubilate born. It would be a concert of great vocal
music. Susanne Mentzer would organize and direct it and she would
enjoin her fellow opera singers to donate their time and talent to
a worthy cause. The concert proceeds would benefit the residents of
Bonaventure House.
The following year Jubilate happened. On November 1, 1992 Chicago's
Holy Name Cathedral became a concert hall for an inspiring evening
of song. Baritones Samuel Ramey and William Parker, tenor Jerry Hadley,
pianist Daniel Beckwith, and the choirs of Holy Name joined Susanne
Mentzer in a memorable programme that included selections from "The
AIDS Quilt Songbook" and songs by Mozart, Barber, Puccini, Rossini
and (Johann) Strauss. That evening,Jubilate raised $50,000.
The success of the first concert virtually guaranteed that Jubilate
would become a yearly event. Indeed it has become a tradition as many
more of opera's brightest stars lent their names to the cause. Placido
Domingo was among the singers with golden voices (that included Ruth
Ann Swenson, Susanne Mentzer, Jerry Hadley and Samuel Ramey) heard
in Jubilate 1994 at the Rubloff Auditorium of the Art Institute. This
third Jubilate raised over $100, 000. Stars of other Jubilate concerts
have included sopranos Carol Vaness, Sylvia McNair and Harolyn Blackwell;
mezzo-soprano Delores Ziegler; baritone Dwayne Croft and British tenor
Graham Clark.
Jubilate 1998 took place on October 27 at The Field Museum's James
Simpson Theater. The programme was co-hosted by John Mahoney, Kelsey
Grammer and David Hyde Pierce from the TV sitcom "Frasier" and featured,
as usual, some of today's leading opera singers: Jane Eaglen, Catherine
Malfitano, Nancy Maultsby, Richard Leech, Eric Halfvarson, Wilbur
Pauley, Brett Polegato and J. Patrick Raftery. The accompanist was
Robert Tweten . With a line-up like this,Jubilate '98 was certainly
another magical evening of song.
Jubilate continues in a Chicago venue every year without fail. In
2005, the concert will be held at the Harris Theater for Music and
Dance.
About Jubilate we can only add:
BRAVA,
Susanne Mentzer
- for your music, your vision and your big heart!!! |
