Chicago Children’s Choir’s (CCC) annual Red Jacket Optional is one of Chicago’s most inspiring events. This year the event marks the launch of the Choir’s 65th anniversary season, and the evening’s performances will be livestreamed FREE to the public via multi-cam at 8:30 p.m. Chicago time on Oct. 16. 

The livestreamed concert is accessible via https://rjo.ccchoir.org/watch

The evening will feature performances by select CCC ensembles alongside a slate of high-profile artists that includes two-time Grammy Award-winner Kurt Elling, Chicago native singer-songwriter Natalie Bergman, Eurovision’s Vasil Garvanliev, and acclaimed opera singer Jonathan Green.

During the event, Chicago Children’s Choir ensembles will captivate audiences with a powerful set that includes a range of musical styles and numbers, including the world premiere of the original composition “Still Here,” by the Choir’s composer-in-residence W. Mitchell Owens III.

Founded in Hyde Park in direct response to the Civil Rights Movement in 1956, Chicago Children’s Choir (CCC) has grown from one choir into a vast network of in-school, after-school, and online programs driven by one mission: to inspire and change lives through music. CCC has impacted the lives of more than 50,000 diverse youth throughout its 65-year history. Since its founding, CCC has focused on building programs that reflect the racial and economic diversity of Chicago. Eighty percent of youth served are from low-to-moderate income homes and participate completely free of charge. High school seniors enrolled in CCC have a 100 percent graduation rate, becoming global ambassadors who carry on CCC’s core values in a wide array of professional fields.