Cue the Chills: A Dark Concert AWaits

Two Kinds of Fall Fun, One Downtown Block

Friday, October 30 is a big night for downtown Iowa City, whether you're marching in it or hiding from it. The University of Iowa Homecoming Parade steps off, and a few hours later just one block away, Chamber Singers of Iowa City offers something considerably stranger: debuting The Haunted Consort, a Halloween-themed choral concert inside the historic Masonic Lodge.

This is the first stop in CSIC's 55th season, Toward the Light, which means the season must start somewhere dim before it can move brighter. It's also the debut for our small ensemble under a new name: CSIC Consort, retired from the simpler and admittedly blander "Small Group." Twenty-four singers, four centuries of music, one eerie repertoire including Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo, a Harry Potter cue, the Haunted Mansion's Grim Grinning Ghosts, and the Nightmare Before Christmas medley. Call it a cauldron of uncommon excellence: stirred up, poured out, and served generously to whoever walks through the door. Expect to be spooked by a few ghost stories, narrated by own own bass 2 Richard Roller, before the evening is out. Family friendly, this event is gladly ghoulish, a must on the eve of all things shadowy. The Lodge, built in 1913, does plenty on its own to render a mysterious atmosphere .

Call it a cauldron of uncommon excellence: stirred up, poured out, and served generously to whoever walks through the door.

The Haunted Consort starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 312 E. College St., a block off the parade route. Catch the floats first if you're so inclined. The parade draws more than 20,000 people downtown along Washington, Clinton, Jefferson, Dubuque, and Iowa Ave., so check the official parade page for timing and the city's closures page before you park. A reception with Halloween treats follows the concert. Costumes are strongly encouraged.

Buy tickets for The Haunted Consort. This concert is part of our 2026-27 season ticket — you get four concerts (October, November, March, June) for one discounted price.

Dana Gratton wrote about this concert for the Iowa City Press-Citizen; read her full column here (a subscription may be required).