"Uncle Chet" gives Katie her first conducting lesson after rehearsal

Katie Fromm, 5-month-old daughter of soprano Allison Fromm, loves Baroque music! She is already a loyal supporter of the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana. Three weeks before her birth, Katie danced and sang in her Mom’s last concert in utero, and informed her mother that Timothy Spelbring’s performance of the Handel organ concerto was her favorite. Allison reports that when the BACH chorus performed with The Prairie Ensemble in Haydn’s Paukenmesse, Katie also seemed particularly fond of the timpani parts.

Katie attended her first chorus rehearsal at eight days of age, and heard her first BACH concert from outside the womb at six weeks. During that May concert, she listened attentively throughout, until the final glorious duet sung by Sherezade Panthaki and Jay Carter, when her mother removed her from the premises after she threatened to turn that lovely duet into a trio.

Katie first staffed the BACH’s Farmer’s Market booth when she was two months old, answering visitors’ questions with knowing smiles and nods. When she has gone out soliciting BACH program ads and auction items, several business owners have succumbed to her considerable charms. On September 26th, the Esteemed BACH Saturday Seminarians (a group of BACH chorus members) met at Sunsinger and unanimously elected Katie to the position: “The BACH Baby,” as she admired Sharron’s colorful shirt and happily played on Andrew’s knee.

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Many thanks to Carol at Weiskamp Screen Printers for designing the BACH baby onesie. If anyone would like to have a BACH onesie or T-shirt printed for the holidays for a niece, nephew, grandchild or friend, please contact Allison: awfromm@illinois.edu.