In their latest album, Ensemble Altera journeys through wind, earth, water, fire, and quintessence — the ancient idea of a fifth essence. Across five chapters, music from the Renaissance to the present explores these forces not as fixed substances but as living metaphors: breath and inspiration, rootedness and belonging, stillness and flow, passion and transformation, and what may lie beyond …

Under the direction of Christopher Bell, the Grant Park Chorus presents a heartfelt collection of carols and contemporary choral favorites for the holiday season. From the quiet reflection of “Silent Night” and “In The Bleak Midwinter” to the shimmering mystery of “O Magnum Mysterium” in two settings (Tomás Luis de Victoria and Morten Lauridsen), the album offers movements of both …