Evanston RoundTable, Nov. 21, 2103 Evanston has always had a song in its heart and music in its soul. According to “The History of Evanston,” the first brass band was organized in 1857, six years before the City’s founding. Church choirs were common in the years immediately following. The Evanston Amateur Musical Club was founded in 1882 and performed for five years, succeeded by the Evanston Woman’s Club, the Evanston Musical Society, the Mendelssohn Society of Evanston and the Evanston Military Band. The Evanston Symphony began in 1946 as the Evanston Civic Orchestra, founded by returning war veterans. It has played hundreds of concerts since then and continues to perform five concerts a year. Music director Lawrence Eckerling celebrated his 10th anniversary with the orchestra last season. But the oldest surviving local music society is the Evanston Music Club, which was founded in 1906. Its mission, according to a 1931 document, was to encourage the “serious study of classical and modern music. Today its mission remains much the same, to “promote performance and learning about music among its members,” according to Ada Kahn, immediate past president. The group also provides annual scholarships to help worthy Chicago-area music students between the … Continue reading →