Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door – all children are $5. Tickets can be purchased by calling (630)969-1532, extension 121. Parking is free.
Father William Conway, pastor of Divine Savior Church, invites all to this uplifting and festive concert, which won the Human Relations Award of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations. Lira’s artistic director, Lucyna Migala, received the Sor Juana Award of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago in recognition of her cross-cultural initiatives, especially this concert.
The concert features the Lira Singers, the core group of the Lira Ensemble, and the Cuerdas Clasicas String Ensemble of men and women who play traditional Mexican stringed instruments as well as sing. The program includes Mexican, Polish and American folk and patriotic songs as well as Marian hymns performed in Spanish and Polish.
This concert celebrates two important ethnic holidays – Cinco de Mayo and May 3rd/Polish Constitution Day. Mexican Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May) to commemorate the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 against the French. This was part of the Mexican fight against Napoleon’s invading armies. Polish Americans celebrate May 3rd as Polish Constitution Day to remember the signing of the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791. This was the second written constitution in world history, second only to the United States Constitution, on which it was partially based.
This Mexican-Polish event has been produced by the Lira Ensemble, artist-in-residence at Loyola University Chicago, as part of a series of cross-ethnic performances since 1990. The series has been praised by audiences, community leaders, as well as critics. A reviewer in the Chicago Tribune described these joint concerts as “a joyous explosion of song and ethnic traditions” which “proves the power of music.”
The April 24th concert will be narrated in English by Lucyna Migala of WCEV Radio/1450am, who is co-founder, artistic director, and general manager of the Lira Ensemble, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. The Cuerdas Clasicas String Ensemble will perform under the direction of Rodolfo Hernandez, founder of the group, who also performs with Cuerdas Clasicas.
For more information, call the Lira Ensemble at 773-508-7040. Please visit the Lira Ensemble’s website at www.liraensemble.org and Cuerdas Clasica’s website at cuerdasclasicas.com for further information on both companies.