The Churchill Singers at Westminster College will present "Caritas & Communion: Songs of Fellowship" today.
This free, open-to-the-public concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury. It will be followed by a coffee reception in the Churchill Memorial.
"Each semester, I design our concert around a thematic idea so that we explore the music we sing within a context that is relevant and meaningful," Churchill Singers conductor Natasia Sexton said. "My goal has always been to create intimate performances where we share ideas with our audience and how we feel about those ideas."
The choir's repertoire this semester has explored the concepts of charity (the Latin word for charity is caritas) and communion.
"In a nutshell, we're singing about fellowship," Sexton said. "Whether the songs are sacred or secular, each one provides a window as to how our lives are made richer and fuller through acts of communion and charity."
Junior and choir member Megan Davis said even though Churchill Singers has always been a "breath of fresh air" for her, this semester has been the most rewarding one yet.
"The theme of this program is not only entertaining and beautiful, but it's also important," she said. "Compassion, charity and community seem to be lacking today. These songs serve as a reminder of why we are here and what we are intended to do."
Freshman Michael Summerlin added, "These songs suggest that we need to give back - whether through activism or charity, these songs illustrate the importance of working together."
Sophomore Abby Beach said the concert theme speaks to her, because as someone planning to go into the medical field, she'll be joining a community of professionals who spend their time helping others.
Although the music is connected through a theme of fellowship, the concert offers stylistic diversity. The concert will open with an arrangement of the communion hymn "Let Us Break Bread Together." Closing the concert is Harry Belafonte's "Turn the World Around" - a song featured in a 1979 episode of "The Muppets."
Belafonte introduced it by asking, "Do I know who you are, or who I am? Do we care about each other? Because if we do, together we can turn the world around."
Between these are a Latin motet, folk songs and a rousing arrangement of Freddie Mercury's "Somebody to Love."
Senior Alyssa Harrison has sung with the Churchill Singers for two years, and she suggests this concert will be a time for the audience and singers to pause and truly appreciate where they are.
"The song 'The Road Home' resonates with me because I was raised as an American citizen in the Bahamas with Bahamian parents, and this piece talks about finding your home in the world, about truly finding a place where you belong," she said.