On Saturday, February 28, the Sarofim School of Fine Arts presented the Southwestern University Choirs’ first performance of the Spring 2026 semester, entitled “Love Me, Love Me Not.” Standing out from previous, recent performances, this show featured students in solos, duets, and small groups along with the Southwestern University Singers and Chorale. The performance wonderfully traced the ebb and flow of love between lovers, friends, family, and humanity as the month of love came to an end. 

The performance opened with “When I Have Sung My Songs,” an operatic solo by soprano Sophia Leon, displaying the devotion of one lover to another. This was followed by the classic Beatles song “Yesterday,” performed in a style reminiscent of a barbershop quartet by tenors Evan Gray, Weston McWhorter, and Nathaniel Ramsay, and bass Warren Mullinnix.

After this introduction, the SU Singers took the stage. They first sang “Plaisir d’Amour”, a French song composed in 1784 that expresses the fleeting nature of love and the enduring pain of heartbreak. Next, they transitioned to “He’s Gone Away” and then “Will He Remember,” two songs from the Three Mountain Ballads that explore the sorrow of lovers, fathers, and brothers going to war. The next song, “The Shoop Shoop Song,” featuring solos by alto Gabriela Abeyta and soprano Valentina McCoy, was much more lighthearted in nature, considering the question of if the one you love feels the same for you.

Prior to Chorale taking the stage, mezzo-sopranos Elisa Keese and Isabella Aleman Ward, adorned with pink feather boas, performed “Sisters” from the American movie musical White Christmas, an entertaining testament to the unbreakable bond of family members. Then, junior Peyton Lowe, currently studying Music Education, conducted “The Rose” performed by a group of nine singers from both SU Singers and Chorale, expressing the idea that everyone experiences love differently.

The full Chorale then sang “O Love,” an ecumenical reflection of the power and depth of love. They then performed “Sing We and Chant It,” which, composed in 1595, conveys both the pleasure of everyday life and the continuity of love over time. Next they sang a choral arrangement of Billy Joel’s “And So it Goes” featuring soloist tenor Evan Gray. Following this ballad, they sang “Where is Love” from Oliver, portraying the human desire to be loved and cared for. Then, soprano Aidan Boswell performed “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret, a touching display of love’s duality of despair and hopefulness. 

To close out the performance, the SU Singers joined Chorale to sing a mash-up of “I Love You” and “What a Wonderful World.” This beautiful combination of songs featuring several soloists attested to the presence and necessity of love among all of humanity. The concert ended with “Seasons of Love” from Rent, with solos from sopranos Aidan Boswell and Keera Poole and tenor Nathaniel Ramey, as director David Arredondo begged the question, “Why can’t every season be a season of love?”

This celebration of music, love, and life preceded the many other performances hosted by the Sarofim School of Fine Arts this semester! Stay tuned for Musicale on March 6 at 3:00, Wind Ensemble and Orchestra on March 8 at 2:00, Jazz Band on March 10 at 7:30, and much more!