JH
Joana Hidalgo
  • Morton Grove, IL

Joana Hidalgo to Sing at White House with Marquette University Chorus

2011 Dec 7

Joana Hidalgo, Morton Grove native and member of the Marquette University Chorus, has been invited to sing at the White House for a Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 17. The chorus will perform a three-hour set from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday morning for the people touring the White House during the holidays.

The Marquette University Chorus is a mixed choir made up of more than 50 young men and women. Due to space and security limitations at the White House, 30 singers are going on the trip. "This is the first time that the Marquette Chorus has been invited by the White House to perform. That in, and of itself, is historic," said Mark Konewko, director of the chorus.

"Our group is very excited for the trip in general, but the most exciting part will be the actual performance. We are used to singing a set of one hour, but this performance will be a set of three hours. It will be a challenge but overall very rewarding for our group," said Allyson Gorecki, a junior in the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences.

The chorus will perform a variety of sacred and secular holiday music including classics such as We Wish You a Merry Christmas and more traditional pieces like Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre. To go along with the holiday theme, the men will sport new red bow ties and cummerbunds, and the women will wear red sashes to accentuate their black gowns.

"Singing in a choir offers students an opportunity to participate in the beautiful art of choral music. Our weekly rehearsals are an important source for artistic expression and an opportunity for students to let go and forget about the stressors of college life," Konewko said.