In Choro Novo offers the sacred, the profane
by Christopher Muther, Globe Correspondent

Strains of Mozart's "Requiem" bounce off the Romanesque architecture inside the Marsh Chapel at Boston University. The piece is perfectly suited for the chapel, as voices rise and fall with praise to God.

But the serenity is short lived. Just as the peaceful echoes of "Requiem" fade, the menacing chorus of the hit by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, "Lil' Red Riding Hood," rises in volume.

The contrast is not unusual for In Choro Novo. The Boston-based chorus, made up primarily of 20- and 30-something professionals, is one of the few vocal groups in the area that brazenly mixes musics.

At a recent rehearsal for the group’s May 2 concert, the choir jumped among complex classic music, spirituals, pop songs, and show tunes.

"That's part of the beauty of this group," said Therese Provenzano, music director for In Choro Novo. "Vocal groups in Boston tend to sing mainly pop songs, or else they perform huge classical pieces. We're somewhere in between. The crowds really enjoy that. They like to listen to some of the early madrigals, but they don't want to hear an entire concert of it."

It's not only the audience that enjoys the diversity of the music. Many of In Choro Novo's 25 members said they were attracted to the chorus precisely because of it. Melinda Hallisey, a Brookline paralegal and two-year member of In Choro Novo, said she cancelled an audition with another group as soon as she was accepted into In Choro Novo because she was excited at the prospect of branching out musically.

"I've sung in big groups, little groups, chamber choirs, and I guess what really stands out for me is that I get an opportunity to sing a wide variety," she said. "Because we sing some classical, we're allowed to be serious and grown up, but we're allowed to be goofy sometimes, too."

Speech pathologist, Shelley Lipschultz said the choir's appeal was much the same for her. After singing for 10 years with a chorus in her hometown of Brookline, she was ready for more variety.

"The diversity of the music was important," she said. "The richness of the music, being able to perform gospel, jazz, and classical makes a big difference for me."

In Choro Novo began in 1994, when members of a Boston University choir decided to change from a student-based chorus to a more professional one. Many of the singers, having graduated from B.U., also wanted to sing with other adults rather than students. In Choro Novo broke its affiliation with B.U. to recruit more post-college singers.

There are still several B.U. students who sing with the group, but now it is made up of equal numbers of teachers, lawyers, bankers and professional musicians.

The break also allowed Provenzano and members of the chorus to reexamine their music and create a new kind of chorus for Boston.

Provenzano, a Roslindale resident who works with a dozen Boston-area choruses in addition to teaching music in Weston Schools and conducting biological research in her spare time, chooses most of In Choro Novo's selections. She said she strives to strike a balance that is pleasing to audiences, as well as chorus members.

"It's hard because we have to change our focus very, very quickly," she said. "But it's part of what we work on. We're not only working on getting the technicalities of the music, we work on feeling the music."

Because of the group's intense, tight harmonies, Provenzano and the executive board opted to limit its size to fewer than 30 singers. The small size also allows the chorus to perform easily in places such as nursing homes and hospitals.

Provenzano said the next goal is to perform more music from up-and-coming Boston-based composers. She said it's difficult for new local composers to get their pieces performed. In Choro Novo is hoping to open up another avenue for them.

"We're working to be a chorus that's open to just about every style out there," Provenzano said. "I think there's been a void out there for a group like us."

In Choro Novo's spring concert is scheduled for next Saturday at 8p.m. in Marsh Chapel at Boston University, 735 Commonwealth Avenue. The suggested donation is $7. The group is also auditioning for new members. Call 469-3705.

© 1998, The Boston Globe

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