Beyond Sunday: A Choral World of Sondheim

You probably don't know this, but Washington D.C. serves as the capital to more than just the federal government. The seat of our country also carries the title "Choral Capital" of the U.S.. There are more choruses and choirs in Washington D.C., than in any other city in the nation.

So when I moved here a few years ago and was itching to keep my foot in the arts after 13 years in New York, I found The Congressional Chorus. They rehearsed a few blocks from my house, they had an excellent reputation and their repertoire was just what you'd expect - songs written and/or arranged by American masters.

Closing out the 26th season, Artistic Director David Simmons has put together some of the greatest works by your favorite composer and mine, Stephen Sondheim. When I was 14 years old, I heard "Sunday" from Sunday in the Park with George for the first time. I remember it clearly. I'd borrowed the album from the library - yes - while everyone else was playing kickball down the street, I was holed up in my room, listening to the vinyl of lesser-known musicals. THAT'S how gay I am.

I took the record out of the album cover, and the musty smell of the paper sleeve wafted out. I gently placed the album on the turntable, moved the needle to the last song and dropped it (I LOVED finales, so I tended to listen to them first). And the first notes were plunked out - da dee da dee dum "Order." da dee da dee dum "Design." da dee da dee dum "Balance." da dee da dee dum "Composition." da dee da dee da - dum. da dee da dee da - dum. da dee da dee da - da - da - "Harmony." dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum..."Sundayyyyyyy..." So many voices. So quiet. So simple. So powerful and so hopeful all at once. I was in love.

And "Sondheim, Sondheim, Sondheim" - the appropriate title of the upcoming concert, is just a continuation of that love. What's amazing however, is that it's not just "Sunday" that sounds incredible with a chorus. I venture to say, most of Sondheim's songs backed up by 90 beautiful voices, manage to inspire and move you as you hear them. Sure, "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" has always sounded incredible with men and women screeching "SWEEEEEEENEEEEEEY" at the end of it, but who knew "I Remember" from Evening Primrose, as arranged by Robert Page, could be so stirring. Sure it's a weird song even in context of the musical, but the sound of it all is absolutely haunting.

Adding choral sounds to popular showtunes isn't a new thing by any means - hell, I was singing an awful medley of A Chorus Line in 6th grade chorus, but it's so rare to have the arrangements make sense and for all the parts to fit together so beautifully.

This concert will feature not only the Congressional Chorus, made up of 100 members, but also members of the American Youth Chorus and Northeast Senior Singers, bringing over 150 voices to these songs. Songs that you're used to hearing anywhere between one and twenty voices on will have as many as 150 (in the case of "Being Alive" from Company). The concert will feature songs from Into the Woods, Company, Sweeney Toddy, Evening Primrose, Passion, Gypsy, West Side Story, Merrily We Roll Along, Anyone Can Whistle, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies, and A Little Night Music.

Join us Saturday, June 6th at 7:30pm, National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle, NW | Washington, D.C. 20005. Visit bit.ly/CCSondheim for tickets!