Event Calendar
The Lost Birds: An Extinction Elegy
Gratus Choral Ensemble Presents The Lost Birds
A Free Concert Honoring the Earth and Its Vanishing Species
PEORIA, IL — The Gratus Choral Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Cory Boulton, will perform The Lost Birds by Grammy-nominated composer Christopher Tin on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 4:00 pm at First Federated Church, 3601 N. Sheridan Rd, Peoria, IL. Admission is free. A pre-concert lecture will begin at 3:30 pm.
The Lost Birds is a choral song cycle written in response to the ongoing extinction of bird species across the globe, a loss driven by human activity and felt across entire ecosystems. Tin’s score draws on texts in multiple languages, weaving together grief, beauty, and urgent witness into a single sustained musical elegy.
The concert is presented in partnership with the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, and First Federated Church. A love offering will be received in support of environmental change efforts.
“This music asks something of its audience,” said Dr. Boulton. “It asks us to listen. Not just to the choir, but to what is no longer there.”
A pre-concert lecture at 3:30 pm will offer context for the work and its environmental significance. The concert is free and open to the public.
WHAT: The Lost Birds — Gratus Choral Ensemble WHEN: Sunday, July 26, 2026 | Pre-concert lecture 3:30 pm | Concert 4:00 pm WHERE: First Federated Church, 3601 N. Sheridan Rd, Peoria, IL 61604 ADMISSION: Free | Love offering received PARTNERS: Sierra Club · Audubon Society · First Federated Church
The Gratus Choral Ensemble is directed by Dr. Cory Boulton, Director of Choral Activities at Bradley University and researcher in embodied educational leadership.
