By Daniel Deza
With finals approaching, take a break and hear the “Songs for the Open Road.”
This Sunday at 6 p.m., Northeastern’s Choral Society will belt out some tunes of America’s greatest poets, writers and old proverbs. Accompanied by an orchestra of 29 musicians, the Concert Choir and the Chamber Choir will work together to bring a four-piece show, creating a timeline of American music.
After months of preparation, the group of 92 singers anxiously await performing. Abby Kelm, a freshmen alto chamber choir singer, said all the hard work will be worth it once Sunday night comes around.
“This is the biggest choir I have ever been a part of and rehearsing with almost a hundred singers has been a great experience,” she said. “I can’t wait to just perform and enjoy the music. All the pieces are great and I know the audience is going to love it.”
The show will begin with poems from Alice in Wonderland put to music, when nonsensical children’s songs take control of the stage. With tunes about lobsters, an old man and an angry duchess, the Concert Choir will bring lyrical humor that has graced the pages of this classical masterpiece for centuries.
Choral Society President Mike Sovak said he hopes the four-piece storyline of “Songs for the Open Road” will engage the audience with its diverse tones that each song has to offer. Sovak said one of the sets, called the “Wedding Cantata,” has songs ranging from the bouncy “Rise Up My Love” to the more mellow “Many Waters.”
“I just think the audience will really like this piece because it is a way for the artist to incorporate multiple flavors and a lot of moves in one song,” Sovak said. “I love telling stories and I think it’s great when songs really depict what they are trying to say.”
The show will end with Robert Frosts’ “Frostiana,” which will bring classic poems “The Telephone” and “Walking by the Woods on a Snowy Evening,” to the stage. This is a perfect ending for Sovak, who said the best is being saved for last.
“This is all just a really great time for friends and family,” he said. ” It is a night the choir can really show off their talents and hard work.”
