CBA Ode to Joy

Shortly after Diane Wood was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 1995, fellow federal judge Blanche Manning learned that Wood played oboe and suggested she consider joining the CBASO. Still a devoted member, Wood, who currently serves as Chief Judge of the Seventh Circuit, finds that her participation in the CBASO enriches her life in countless ways. “It provides essential perspective—the troubles of the day always seem more manageable when we are playing the timeless music that Conductor David Katz chooses for us,” she says. “Without the CBASO, I doubt strongly that I would have kept up with the oboe; with the CBASO, I like to think that I have improved as a player and as an ensemble member. It is, without a doubt, my favorite ‘extracurricular’ activity.” “I have many fond memories of the CBASO, ranging from our courtroom performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury , to our performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Navy Pier more than 10 years ago, to the support and understanding I received from all of the CBASO members and David Katz, our wonderful maestro, during the two periods when I was being actively considered for the Supreme Court. It was very reassuring to be around friends all of whom shared such a great love for music.” In fact, Wood so valued her experience in the CBASO she suggested her former law clerk, Andrea Wood (no relation), join the Chorus. Wood, a soprano, has been a member of the Chorus for a decade and is now a U.S. District Court Judge herself. Having been involved in various choral groups since elementary school, Wood did not expect she would still have opportunities to perform challenging pieces such as the final “Ode to Joy” movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony after she started practicing as an attorney, let alone to do so on stage at Chicago Symphony Center. As she explains, “I hoped singing would always be part of my life. But I had no idea when I joined how special my experience with the Chorus would be. All of us take part because we love the music. No matter what challenges the day has brought, rehearsal is a time literally to exhale and enjoy good company and the beauty of music.” Rebecca Pallmeyer became a U.S. District Court Judge in 1998, after previously serving as a U.S. Magistrate Judge and an administrative law judge for the Illinois Human Rights Commission. In July 2019, she will become the first woman to serve as Chief Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, the federal judicial district that spans the northern portion of the state. Pallmeyer was already a devoted amateur musician, having studied piano as a child and sung in choirs her entire life, when she joined the Chorus in the alto section for its inaugural concert in 2006. For her, the opportunity to perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was simply too enticing to resist. “I loved performing at Navy Pier. But my fondest memories of my time in the Chorus are the rehearsals themselves, seated on courtroom benches with the other altos and learning the music with people who cared as much about the music as I did,” Pallmeyer explains. “Working with lawyers on something that has nothing to do with the law is a great reminder that we all have lives and interests in the larger world. I love the idea of lawyers, so often engaged in combat, all singing in harmony!”

For these and other judges who have participated over the years, the CBASO and Chorus have provided avenues to combine personal enjoyment and civic engagement unlike any other.

–Program Note by Hon. Andrea R. Wood

64 ODE TO JOY