Chicago attorney Mark E. Burkland loves to sing. The Holland & Knight partner joined his church choir at age six and has been singing every since.

“I never got paid for it,” he said. “Singing is just something I love to do.”

In 1988, Burkland joined the Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church choir in Oak Park, has performed there ever since and even served as its director for a year until a permanent replacement came on board.

Choir members were so committed to music that when director Becky Patterson retired, several created their own ensemble named Con Spirito under her leadership.

“A group of us decided to polish our music and perform at other venues in addition to church,” Burkland said.

Con Spirito regulars now include Sallie Smylie, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis; a professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, a vascular surgeon, a retired preschool teacher and day care provider, an arts and crafts expert and gallery owner, the executive director of an agency that provides services to the deaf in suburban school districts, and a grants program writer and language translator.

“Many people know Becky Patterson, who is a noted singer, conductor and voice coach,” Burkland said. “She got us our first job at the Bohemian National Cemetery Chapel. Its funereal artwork is quite beautiful and striking. We sang about death, after-life and spiritual songs.”

The Con Spirito ensemble will sing again at the Bohemian National Cemetery in June. This time it will be for the consul general of the Czech Republic from Prague, one of Chicago's sister cities.

“They want us to sing in the Czech language,” Burkland said. “We hope to attract a large group of people. The cemetery is trying to raise funds to restore the chapel to its original beauty.”

Con Spirito recently participated in a concert at Navy Pier with the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was scheduled, but the CBA didn't have enough of the necessary singers.

“Becky Patterson helped create a chorus and recruited people,” Burkland recalled. “Half were lawyers and half were from church choirs. We practiced in spring, took a break during summer and then began rehearsals once again in August.

“We performed in front of about 1,200 people. The performance coincided with a meeting of the International Bar Association. It was a spectacular event.”

Burkland has always had music in his heart. Although his parents never pursued music, they “always insisted that we play the piano, go to church and sing in the choir,” he said. “It made a huge difference in our lives.”

His son, Thomas, plays the piano; daughter Katharine plays the piano and sings in a community choir. His wife, Miriam Leskovar Burkland, a lawyer for 25 years with Defrees & Fisk, loves music but does not play an instrument.

The couple met at the University of Illinois and went to law school together. Burkland initially studied journalism as an undergrad, but an uncle influenced him to become a lawyer.

He says he considers his journalism studies “a big factor in my success as a lawyer. My uncle – U.S. District Court Judge Charles Kocoras – was my model.”

Burkland worked two summer jobs with Jenner & Block and clerked for a judge after law school. He ultimately accepted a position with Holland & Knight, where he practices in local government and land work for municipalities.

“I chose the people with whom to work, not the law firm itself,” he said.

Burkland plays the piano and trumpet, and relaxes by sitting at the keyboard and singing.

Con Spirito looks forward to performance invitations, he said. “We welcome suggestions and are especially interested in those which are unusual!”