Audiences will be treated to a rarely performed English Renaissance piece when William Chin, artistic director of The Oriana Singers and director of City Voices, combines his two choruses for the 40-voice motet “Spem in Alium” by Thomas Tallis.

The premiere will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at United Lutheran Church, 409 Greenfield St. in Oak Park, with a second performance Oct. 19 at St. Josaphat Church in Chicago.

“It’s not something that everybody attempts to do,” Chin said. He revealed that the work has always been on his list to either sing or direct. The text is in Latin and the work is about hope.

“It’s speculated that (Tallis) wrote it because he was made aware of an Italian composer who, shortly before that, had written a 40-part piece of music that he was either inspired or challen

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