For the second year in a row, Music of the Baroque was blessed with wonderful weather as the orchestra and chorus, led by Dame Jane Glover, cruised down the Chicago River while performing music that George Frederic Handel first performed on the River Thames in 1717. At that time, the United Kingdon’s newly crowned King George I brought in Handel to compose music for a boating party on the Thames.
Those compositions have been known as Water Music ever since, and MOB performed sections from three of the Water Music Suites on Wednesday evening. They also performed passages from Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks.
The program included vocal music, and the MOB Chorus was joined by dozens of members of the Strong Voices Chorus, which is made up of students from seven public high schools in Chicago. They sang choruses from Handel’s oratorio Theodora, “Queen of Summer” and “Venus Laughing” and Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi, who was Handel’s Venetian contemporary. Ending the program was a crowd favorite, the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.
The cruise started on the east end of the river walk and the whole program was performed while moving through the water. MOB then played the program parked in front of the Merchandise Mart and the large steps between LaSalle and Clark Streets. Standing on the bridges and sitting on the riverwalk were thousands of spectators.
The musicians were assembled on one cruise ship. Dame Glover, even when she is on a moving boat, has a commanding presence directing the performers.
This year the event expanded to have two full boats of audience members. On Boat No. 1, Oliver Camacho from WFMT introduced and explained the program. I was on Boat No. 2, where Robbie Ellis did the honors very enjoyably.
One consequence of having two audience boats was that neither could get close enough to the musicians’ boat to hear the music without amplification. Having the music broadcast over loud speakers caused several problems. First, when an audience boat was near the performers’ boat, there was an echo between the actual players and the speakers. Also, the microphones amplified engine sounds on the performers’ boat, traffic noises, and El trains on the Wells Street overpass. Great sound did not emanate from the speakers.
While parked between LaSalle and Clark Streets, Dame Glover invited the audience to join in for two renditions of the “Hallelujah” Chorus. Even though the sound wasn’t great, it was a very enjoyable evening.
Music of the Baroque has an excellent 2025/26 season lined up. This Sunday and Monday Dame Jane Glover leads the MOB Orchestra, Chorus, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, and sopranos Heidi Stober and Hannah De Priest through Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Sunday, September 14, 3pm, North Shore Center, Skokie; Monday, September 15, 7:30pm, Harris Theater, Chicago. For more information, click here.
