About Us
St. Charles Singers originated in St. Charles, Illinois in 1984. What began as a twelve voice ensemble has grown into a thirty-four voice choir. Jeffrey S. Hunt, founder and director of St. Charles Singers, was born and raised in St Charles, a suburb west of Chicago. Jeffrey received a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Taylor University, Upland, Indiana and a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. He is Director of Music at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles where he has served since 1986 and teaches music appreciation courses at Elgin Community College in Elgin, Illinois.
St. Charles Singers Tour France
St. Charles Singers generally performs three concerts each season including a candlelit Christmas concert, a spring concert and an early summer concert. These concerts are heard in the choir's home venue, Baker Memorial United Methodist Church. The choir is also a frequent guest at music festivals and performances throughout the mid-western United States. The choir completed a five-city tour of cathedrals in France during the summer of 2006. St. Charles Singers has had the honor of performing under the direction of John Rutter, Timothy Brown, and James Conlon. The choir has had two pieces written especially for them: In Christopher's Time by Charles Forsberg and Songs and Sonnets by George Shearing.
St. Charles Singers has recorded two CD's on the Proteus Entertainment label. I Know Where I'm Going was released in 2003 to very favorable reviews. The second, Christmas in St. Charles was also praised by critics in both the United States and the United Kingdom. In the spring of 2007, the choir is contracted to record several Aaron Copland works with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra of Elgin, Illinois for release on the Naxos label.
Educational Scholarships Available
St. Charles Singers is supported through grants and donations from its' generous donors and sponsors. Because of this financial support, St. Charles Singers is able to award several thousand dollars in educational scholarships each year to high school students planning to continue the study of choral music at the university level.