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Chicago Master Singers’ “An Evening of Russian Culture” raises $44,300
Charlie (from left) and Amy Anderson of Kildeer and Marty Finger of Lake Bluff | Photo courtesy of Diddy Blyth, A Sterling Design
EVENT: “An Evening of Russian Culture”
BENEFITING: Chicago Master Singers
LOCATION: Wynstone Golf Club, North Barrington
DATE: March 17, 2012
ATTENDED: 112
RAISED: $44,300
Article Extras
Updated: May 1, 2012 10:06PM
Chicago Master Singers’ annual benefit gala, held on Saturday, March 17, at the Wynstone Golf Club in North Barrington, delighted the group’s patrons with an evening of Russian cuisine and musical entertainment. The event was themed “White Nights: A Russian Fantasy” to celebrate the chorus’s upcoming tour to Latvia, Estonia, and St. Petersburg, Russia.
One hundred and twelve guests enjoyed caviar and other Russian hors d’oeuvres as they browsed the silent auction displays and caught up with friends. An elegant Russian dinner of stroganoff and kabobs, specially prepared by the club’s chef Dino Simon, was followed by a live auction and a high-energy performance by the University of Chicago Russian folk choir, Golosá.
The live auction featured one-of-a-kind items, including vacations and original works of art, as well as a handmade Indian Tabriz carpet donated by Rugport in Palatine. Proceeds from the live and silent auctions plus donations to the singers’ memorial fund, netted $44,300 for Chicago Master Singers, a non-profit organization.
The organization’s president, Buddy Black of Palatine, and music director, Alan Heatherington of Libertyville, presided over the evening’s festivities. Lyn Messemer and Janet Lareau, both of Barrington, co-chaired the planning of the event. The auctioneer was Norm Andrews of Arlington Heights, who is a member of the “Saints” who usher at Chicago Master Singers concerts and support the arts throughout the Chicagoland area. Many volunteers from this organization attended the gala.
The spring concert of Chicago Master Singers on April 20 and 22 will feature sacred works by the great Russian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, and works by popular contemporary choral composers from the Baltic countries and America. These a cappella performances will offer a preview of the program Chicago Master Singers will take on tour this summer. More information about the concerts is at chicagomastersingers.org.
