Music Ensembles
If you join one of Judson’s ensembles, you’ll not only meet other music majors but chemistry, architecture, history, youth ministry, business, and worship arts majors too. Most of our ensembles perform locally at least twice a year and many also tour nationally and internationally.
UNIVERSITY CHOIR
The Judson University Choir, the largest and oldest of our ensembles, is known both nationally and internationally through its numerous tours at home and abroad. The choir performs a variety of music, ranging from choral masterworks to spirituals and contemporary works. It tours within the United States three times each year, and regularly tours Europe, the Orient, and the Americas.
CHAMBER SINGERS
The Judson University Chamber Singers is a select group of the most talented singers at Judson. They perform a wide variety of literature, from early oratorios with professional orchestra to madrigals and lighter music.
The Judson University Symphonic Band is open to anyone who likes to play traditional, popular, and even avant-garde wind band repertoire. It performs both secular and sacred music ranging from transcriptions of early music to the present. The Symphonic Band is open by audition to students of all majors and community members. The Symphonic Band meets on Thursday evenings in Herrick Chapel, room 6.
JAZZ ENSEMBLE
The Judson Jazz Ensemble, is open to students of all majors and performs a variety of big band and small combo jazz styles ranging from early New Orleans style to swing, be-bop, cool jazz, Christian jazz, and fusion. The group performs both on and off campus in a variety of settings.
Students who play an orchestral instrument are eligible to participate in the Judson University Community Orchestra. A wide variety of students, professional musicians, music educators, and dedicated amateur musicians make up the membership of this orchestra, which meets every Monday evening on Judson’s campus in Herrick Chapel, room 6. We are especially looking for string players.
HANDBELL CHOIR
Processionals, solo ringing, choreography, change ringing, use of mallets, vocal ensembles and singing and ringing in the round are some of the techniques employed by the Judson University Handbell Choir. A wide variety of music, including great masterworks, (both sacred and secular), are performed. The group was formed in 1977 and plays 69 handbells along with solo instruments and choir chimes.
THE JUDSON BRASS
This brass quintet bearing the name of Adoniram Judson and Judson University was formed in 2002 and has toured around the northern Illinois area. We perform anything remotely accessible to the brass quintet repertoire in the great tradition of the Canadian Brass. The Judson Brass is open to any brass student by audition.
CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLES
A variety of small chamber groups are formed each year and coached by a music faculty member. These have included, but are not limited to: male vocal quartet, string quartet, brass quintet, and piano quintet.