Chicago River concert featuring Music of the Baroque draws large crowd
Thousands of people gathered along the banks of the Chicago River on Wednesday evening for a special performance.
The Riverwalk and even the bridges were packed, with each person there to witness a different kind of concert hall. The stage was on the water.
"I'm incredibly stoked, I mean, look how stoked the people are. It's a vibe, to say the least," said Cade Caulfield.
"We don't have the best seats in the house here. We probably should have gotten here a little bit earlier because I'm likethis is not the best-kept secret," said Sherry Silvers.
The orchestra and chorus with Music of the Baroque kicked off the show in front of the Merchandise Mart. Also on board were 40 Chicago Public School students who are part of the Voice Teaching program.
It's the third year the group has done this free river show for Chicagoans.
"It's the perfect architecture, it's the perfect setting, this amazing asset that we have with the Chicago River and the beautiful Riverwalk, it's actually made for an amazing open-air performance," said Declan McGovern, executive director of Music of the Baroque.
McGovern says they were looking for a way to share their uplifting music with the community.
"They might think, well, historic music from the 18th century, not sure what that's about. So this is almost like a live teaser on the water," McGovern said.
The music dates all the way back to the 1700's. German composer George Handel performed this music for the king one night along the River Thames. This time, that same music is using the city's river and skyline as the backdrop.
"Obviously we live in the world of electricity, what a luxury, so we are able to broadcast this live to the people on the riverwalk," McGovern said.
The performance ends between LaSalle and Clark with Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus."
"It's not like I listened to this music all the time. However, anytime I hear Hallelujah, it brings me to my knees and I am all like teary-eyed," Silvers said.
It's a chance to gather, listen, and experience old classical music in a whole new way.
"It's beautiful, it's summer in Chicago and music is wonderful," Laurie said.
