A Season of Triumph for the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
The Milwaukee Symphony Chorus concludes a remarkable 50th anniversary season, marked by performances of some of the world’s most revered choral compositions. This season’s journey reaches its pinnacle with an upcoming presentation of Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis.”
The ensemble’s ambitious repertoire this year featured Handel’s “Messiah,” J.S. Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9’s “Ode to Joy.”
In a fitting finale, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is set to release a live recording of Johannes Brahms’s “Ein deutsches Requiem.” Performed in April 2025 at the Bradley Symphony Center, this recording showcases soprano Sonya Headlam and bass-baritone Dashon Burton, under the direction of the departing Music Director Ken-David Masur.
Central to this season’s success is Cheryl Frazes Hill, the chorus director, who is celebrating her ninth year in this role. Amidst her busy schedule, Frazes Hill shared insights into her preparation process in a recent interview, crediting her mentor Margaret Hillis, the founder of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, for her methodical approach.
Frazes Hill authored “Margaret Hillis: Unsung Pioneer,” celebrating Hillis’s legacy as a conductor, educator, and mentor. “She was a very regimented and very disciplined conductor, and it all begins with score study — what are the challenges going to be in each piece?” Frazes Hill explained. Her approach involves detailed planning, from understanding the musical score to creating a comprehensive rehearsal schedule.
“It’s a layering process,” Frazes Hill elaborated. “Notes and rhythms are addressed in the early stages, but then we build in the text, and as we move into the expressive qualities — the volume, the style, the inflection — each layer gives [the singers] an opportunity to revisit the things that we’ve already worked with, but at the same time you’re adding complexity.”
The meticulous preparation comes to life in the Brahms Requiem recording, capturing the emotional depth of Brahms’s composition, which he completed after the loss of his mother. Brahms chose texts from Luther’s Bible, focusing on consolation rather than traditional liturgical themes, leading him to suggest the title “A Human Requiem.”
Frazes Hill describes how the work addresses human vulnerability, leading listeners to a place of comfort. “He sets up so many of the movements by explaining how vulnerable we are… yet at the end of each of those movements, there’s always that turning point. Brahms is clearly leading us to the place of comfort.”
The Requiem requires not only musical skill but also emotional engagement from the performers. “I always tell the singers the audience will not feel anything that you don’t,” Frazes Hill noted, emphasizing the importance of personal connection to the music.
“Ein deutsches Requiem” is available on the MSO’s label, released on June 5 across major streaming platforms. To witness the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’s live performance, attend their final season concerts on June 13 and 14, featuring Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” here.
