Chorale spring concert includes ‘Carols of death’

Megan Confer

The KSU Chorale presents its spring concert at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Kent Presbyterian Church at 1456 E. Summit St.

“We will share the concert with the Ars Nova Singers,” said Scott MacPherson, associate professor and director of choral activities. “They are a small group within the chorale. They specialize in early music and music for small groups.”

The choir is made up of about one-fourth non-music majors, he said.

MacPherson said the concert presents a wide variety of music, spanning over 400 years of history. He also said they will perform a set of carols, but not traditional Christmas carols.

“They’re called ‘The Carols of Death,’” MacPherson said. “Everyone imagines that a carol is a Christmas carol, but they’re more weighty subject matter. They discuss different emotions and the idea surrounding death and the inevitability of death. Almost that life is a constant draw towards death, is underlying the theme of these poems.”

The carols are very sophisticated, MacPherson said.

“They are very complicated to put together for an ensemble,” he said. “There is no accompanying piano or anything.”

MacPherson said the concert overall is a variety of styles, composers, languages and emotions.

The concert precedes the chorale’s tour to Washington, D.C., he said.

“We will be singing in various churches and schools on our way to Washington and back,” MacPherson said. This concert is a fundraiser, so general admission and senior tickets are $10. Students and faculty are free with a ID.

-Megan Confer