Elizabeth and Stephen Geer
After Chicago early music ensemble Basically Bach folded in the 1990s, there was a Baroque-shaped void in Elizabeth and Stephen Geer's lives. A colleague suggested they check out Music of the Baroque. "Our first concert was in 2001—the St. Matthew Passion conducted by Thomas Wikman in Wheaton," Elizabeth remembers. "After attending a few other concerts, we subscribed, and have been subscribers ever since. We lived in Glen Ellyn at the time, and so chose Grace Lutheran in River Forest as our main venue, since it was easier to get to than downtown or Evanston. Now that we live close to the Harris Theater, we love being able to walk home after a concert."
With nearly 20 years of concerts under their belts, the Geers find it hard to choose a favorite MOB experience. "There have been so many! I am a big Handel fan, so anything by him always hits the spot. Some performances that stand out include Acis and Galatea and L’Allegro, Il Penseroso ed il Moderato. I love 'See the Conquering Hero Comes' from Judas Maccabaeus—I was annoyed that I had to miss the performance in 2016 because I was on a work trip and my husband went on his own. As we're originally from the UK, we always enjoy performances of Handel's Coronation Anthems. We also especially enjoyed Paul Agnew as the Evangelist in the St. John Passion in 2013. In fact, anything with Paul Agnew is great—his Holiday Brass & Choral concert a few years ago was wonderful. The Holiday Brass and Choral concerts have become a part of our Christmas traditions and we are so sad we weren't able to experience them this year. Thankfully we have copies of every MOB holiday recording to enjoy.”
One of Elizabeth’s favorite things, regardless of the program, is hearing from our conductors. "Both Nicholas Kraemer and Jane Glover add immensely to the concert experience—we love that they share their knowledge, talk directly to the audience, and tell us more about what we're hearing. I have enjoyed that this has continued with their virtual chats with Declan during the pandemic."