CBA Ode to Joy

W PRESIDENT’S WELCOME LETTER Welcome to a very special evening for the Chicago Bar Association and the exceptionally talented members of our Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. We gather this evening at the iconic Symphony Center, where the rich history of outstanding music and spectacular architecture bids a warm Chicago welcome to all. While we are an organization of lawyers, the lifeblood of the Chicago Bar Association runs deeper, and tonight’s milestone performance by our Symphony Orchestra and Chorus is a true testament to the rich talents and passionate pursuits of our members. As President of the Chicago Bar Association, it gives me a wonderful sense of pride to bear witness to and have an understanding of the accomplishments of our talented musicians, who also happen to be talented lawyers.

It was 33 years ago when a handful of musicians thought it would be an interesting idea to form an orchestra within the structure of our Bar Association. Since then, the magic of the music and the collegiality of these performers has blossomed and grown over those three decades. The CBA Symphony Orchestra now regularly fields an orchestra of 75 musicians or more, with virtually all of the participants affiliated with some area of Chicago’s legal community. In 2006, shortly after the Symphony Orchestra’s 20 th anniversary gala, a group of talented CBA vocalists who had performed at the gala formed a permanent vocal ensemble which ultimately became the Chicago Bar Association Chorus that now includes dozens of CBA attorneys, family members, and friends. Our Symphony Orchestra and our Chorus have enjoyed many years of making beautiful music together at locations across our city and state, from right here at the Symphony Center, to the courtrooms of Cook County, the Daley Center Plaza and the eloquent St. James Episcopal Cathedral, among many venues. Unlike a closing argument, a symphony cannot be played alone. Tremendous teamwork is required, and tremendous teamwork requires remarkable leadership -- so we offer our best wishes and appreciation to our talented conductors and long-time musical leaders including David Katz, Stephen Blackwelder, Marek Rachelski, John Vishneski, Rebecca Patterson, Janet Eckhardt, and Mark Burkland. Special thanks to our members, families, friends and distinguished guests for your support. I hope you all enjoy the show as much as I know I will.

Bravo!

Steven M. Elrod Chicago Bar Association President

CBA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS 3