🎧Hear the sound of hundreds of Chicagoans joining together in a “Hallelujah” moment by clicking the play button above.
Chicago just spent another week in the national spotlight, as President Donald Trump continues to threaten federal intervention. But that backdrop didn’t stop Chicago’s Music of the Baroque from creating a shared moment of joy Wednesday night.
The local orchestra and chorus packed dozens of musicians on a large sightseeing boat and headed down the Chicago River. Up the Main Branch, hundreds of classical music fans, prideful Chicagoans and curious passersby all eagerly awaited their arrival.
“We’re here because I love the music. I love the city and this place,” said one attendee, Joan Parsons. “I mean, to have music on the water, I think, is really neat.”
In the free and floating concert, the group presented George Frideric Handel’s 1717 opus “Water Music,” which was originally performed centuries ago on a boat on London’s River Thames.
Last year, Music of the Baroque’s Executive Director Declan McGovern got the idea to bring that centuries-old idea to modern-day Chicago. It was well received, so the group decided to dial it up this year. They invited the public to join them in belting out the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” — even posting parts on the group’s website in advance.
It’s all about creating a shared moment, McGovern said. “People need joy to stay fueled in a world with so many challenges,” he said. “I think that’s where music comes in.”
The evening, complete with idyllic September weather, was a draw for hundreds, who packed the “River Theater” concrete steps between LaSalle Drive and Clark Street.
“It’s a beautiful night, and Chicago is a beautiful city, so it’s great,” said Chicagoan Brady Koetting.
When the “Hallelujah” moment arrived, hundreds joined in. Some rose to stand when the first notes floated from the boat, others shined lights on printed sheet music and others yet were just out for an evening run but stopped to watch and capture a cellphone video.
Afterward, the air was buzzing.
“I am blown away. I just think it’s amazing,” said Armene Walsh, who was in town from Michigan to visit her daughter, Teri Bradley.
“I mean, we’re kind of in tricky times right now, so anytime we can get some joy as a unit of people, we should take it,” Bradley added. “I feel like that’s what this was about.”
🎧Click on the red audio player to hear our dispatch from the Music of the Baroque sing-along.
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and culture reporter at WBEZ.