Community Connections Initiative

Outreach | Collaboration | Inclusion | Growth

Lux Cantorum is Latin for “light singers,” personifying our mission statement, with “Cantorum” expressing the community element and "Lux" suggesting light as a spiritual concept—as well as the "transformative power" of the music we prepare and share. The works we perform range from Buddhist poetry to Islamic chants, in languages that range from Xhosa to Hebrew, in musical styles that range from Renaissance to Gospel.

This multicultural representation makes us unique in Chicago, and while it has strong appeal, we recognize that there are barriers to participating in these experiences, barriers which are not new to many musical organizations. Just as we have diversified our repertoire, we aim to have more diversified representation across our membership, our board, and our audiences.

Our Community Connections Initiative is a multi-pronged outreach venture to bring new voices into our organization and to bring our unique voices to more audiences:

  • New collaborations with both artistic and interfaith groups

  • Enhanced recruitment efforts—including our new Building Voices Together Grant

  • Intentional expansion of our board to include more foundational expertise

  • Procurement of funding to hire a part-time paid administrator

Ways to get involved

We are a volunteer-driven organization; as such, the full focus of our board (most of whom are also singing members), leaves limited resources for the kinds of strategic planning and growth we want to achieve, and concert ticket sales cover only 25% of our operating expenses.

At this introductory stage, we are prioritizing our grant program, and have established the following contribution levels to ensure its successful launch:

  • A $1,500 gift will cover the award for a grant recipient’s first year with Lux Cantorum.

  • A $2,500 gift will cover the award for both years of a grant recipient’s participation with Lux Cantorum.

  • A $6,000 gift will cover the awards for four grant recipients’ first year with Lux Cantorum.

Are you or your organization interested in exploring the possibility of collaboration? Please drop us a line!

We invite you to join us in our mission of nurturing an inclusive, creative community by sharing the transformative power of sacred choral music.