Events at the Byron Colby Barn

The beautifully restored Byron Colby Barn in Grayslake hosts concerts and events to foster lifelong learning and a sense of community.

Incredible performances and architectural beauty combine to create a unique experience. Bring a bottle of wine to share with friends if you wish.

Join us at the following events!

14th Annual Early Music Series

Join us for the Early Music Series, featuring highly acclaimed musicians performing music from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming performances:

Sun., Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. - Shirley Hunt
Sun., Mar. 20 at 4 p.m. - Nigel North

Admission is $20 and available at the door only (cash or check only). To inspire early appreciation for the arts, children under 16 are admitted free to Early Music Series concerts.

Visit the Early Music Series YouTube channel for a preview, then join us at an upcoming performance. No photography, videography, or sound recording is allowed during performances but relax and enjoy these exquisite video clips from past performances.

"Like" the Early Music Series on Facebook!

Shirley Hunt

4 p.m. Sun., Feb. 28

Tune in with Baroque cellist Shirley Hunt for "Scordatura and More" featuring 17th century selections performed in a variety of historical tuning systems.

Shirley Hunt entertains and educates with a fascinating and beautiful recital featuring early compositions for the cello performed in a variety of historical tuning systems.

Her colorful "Scordatura and More" program opens with Giuseppe Colombi's lively Ciaccona, a ground bass that becomes increasingly ornate with each repetition. This charming 17th century work along with the two Ricecare by Domenico Gabrielli are performed in a scordatura tuning, in which the cello's top string is lowered one whole step.

Sonata No. 2 by Domenico Galli, a talented instrument maker and poet as well as a composer, was likely intended for a Bb-F-c-g tuning - while Francesco Paolo Supriani and Giuseppe Maria Dall'Abaco's works call for the standard C-G-d-a tuning. J.S. Bach's celebrated Suite No. 5 in C minor, the only non-Italian work on the program, returns to a resonant scordatura to close the recital.

Click here for more information about Shirley Hunt's Feb. 28 performance.

Nigel North

4 p.m. Sun., Mar. 20

Save the date for a performance by internationally renowned lutenist Nigel North.

"Perhaps he is the greatest performer of the instrument of all time. Transcriptions from cello music ... reminded us of North's wonderful fluidity and subtlety of expression, which enables him to knit together lines of melody in such a way as to imply rich harmony . . . the basic sincerity of his approach comes over well in live recitals" Stephen Daw, in the Birmingham Post (England).

Nigel North's "Cantabile" program at the Byron Colby Barn features music by Sylvius Weiss and J.S. Bach together with shorter works by Weiss including Fantasies, Fugues and the Tombeau for Count Logy, and BWV 998 of Bach (Prelude Fugue and Allegro).

Click here for more information about Nigel North's Mar. 20 performance.

Joel Spears - Artistic Director of the Early Music Series

Joel Spears is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Early Music at the Byron Colby Barn, and an active lutenist and guitarist based in the Chicago area.

Joel has performed both as a soloist and with ensembles of varying sizes such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Seraphic Fire, Ars Antigua, Bella Voce, Music of the Baroque, and The Chicago Early Music Consort.

Joel is currently Lute Instructor at the Music Institute of Chicago. He is also proud to be the first theorbo teacher in the nation at the high school level at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire.

Other Upcoming Events

Rotary Club Wine Tasting

6 - 8:30 p.m. Fri., Mar. 4

Join the Grayslake Rotary Club in celebrating their 4th Annual Uncorked! Wine Tasting from 6 -8:30 p.m. Fri., Mar. 7 at the Byron Colby Barn.

The tasting will feature a variety of wines accompanied by hors d'oeuvres, DJ entertainment, plus a silent auction and raffle. Tickets for this "over 21" event are $25 per person in advance or $30 at the door.

Chartered in 2006, the Grayslake Rotary Club is dedicated to the support of local and international organizations and programs. 100% of the funds raised will benefit local area food pantries, the Oasis Grayslake Youth Center, Grayslake High School merit scholarships, College of Lake County needs-based scholarships, Shelterbox disaster relief housing, and worldwide polio eradication.

Click here for tickets and additional Uncorked! information.

About the Byron Colby Barn

The beautifully restored Byron Colby Barn is named for the local dairy farmer who built it in 1885. Scheduled for demolition in 1992, this historic dairy barn was instead expertly deconstructed and rebuilt in Prairie Crossing, a nationally known conservation community.

The Byron Colby Barn is located at 1561 Jones Point Road in Grayslake. From I-94 north, exit Route 120 west, turn south at Route 45, then right at Jones Point Road. Ample free parking is located adjacent to the Barn.

The Byron Colby Barn is owned and operated by the Liberty Prairie Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is used in support of our mission. The Barn's various uses are aligned with the Prairie Crossing guiding principles of life-long learning, a sense of community, and a sense of place.

Private Barn Rentals

As a beautiful and unique venue, the Barn is very popular for private rentals. Hold your special event at the Byron Colby Barn!

The Byron Colby Barn was named the 2011 Best Budget Wedding Venue by Chicago Magazine, and can be rented 7 days a week for elegant weddings, professional meetings, intimate concerts, and other events.

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847-543-1202

1561 Jones Point Road
Grayslake, IL 60030