The Elgin Symphony Orchestra continues its 76th Season Classics Series with a program of powerful choral music and theatrical drama at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7 and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8 at The Hemmens Cultural Center.

Led by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman, the orchestra is joined by the Elgin Master Chorale and guest vocalists Laura Strickling, soprano and Jesse Blumberg, baritone, for a moving and multifaceted program featuring works by Valerie Coleman, Edvard Grieg and Gabriel Fauré.

The concert opens with Coleman’s invigorating “Seven O’Clock Shout,” written during the COVID-19 pandemic as a tribute to frontline workers and the power of community. It continues with a special performance of handpicked selections from Edvard Grieg’s evocative music from “Peer Gynt.” The centerpiece of the evening is Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem,” a serene and transcendent setting of the mass that offers comfort and peace in its vision of eternal rest.

The Elgin Master Chorale, long-time collaborators with the ESO, brings its signature blend of clarity, power and expressivity to this deeply spiritual program.

A pre-concert talk by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman will take place one-hour prior to each concert.

Tickets are available at ElginSymphony.org. Tickets start at $20. Continuing its commitment to making performances affordable and accessible to the community, the ESO offers discounted student tickets for $10 for those with a valid student ID, and free youth tickets for children age 17 and under with a paid adult ticket.

Call the ESO Box Office at 847-888-4000 for more information and to include free youth tickets in your order. The ESO Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.