A cappella to perform in Naperville
The 25-member vocal group Acappellago will open its sixth season when it performs "Escape to … Wonderland" at 3 p.m. Sunday at Naperville Congregational Church, Washington and 75th streets.
Musical director Dennis Smith, a graduate of DePaul University School of Music, will lead the group as it performs songs from film and television, including the "Peter Gunn Theme," "Moon River," "Maria," "William Tell Overture" and numerous Disney hits -- all sung a cappella.
Smith recently talked about the group he helped form and his passion for music.
Q. How did you come to name the group Acappellago?
A. A cappella singing is just the voice without musical instruments. We added the word "go" to mean moving forward because we try to do different things with our music.
The word "acappellago" also means "a place to escape to." It's a play on words. Our concerts are a place to go and "escape to" for a couple of hours while enjoying the music.
Q. How long have some members been with the group?
A. My wife, Patricia, and I started the group six years ago and some members have been with us since the beginning. Some have left to have babies, some have gone on to school and other reasons, so it's not a static group. We do encourage both men and women to join us.
Q. Does a prospective member need to audition?
A. Yes. We ask them to prepare a couple pieces and then we want to hear how they blend in with the rest of the singers. Some sing in church choirs and others sing in groups that are not a cappella and some have a band experience.
Q. How would you describe your musical selections to someone who has not heard them before?
A. We do all kinds of music. There is not only one kind of music in our program; there is a variety of styles so people will not feel they are listening to the same thing over and over.
Q. What range of occupations do members represent?
A. I am a concrete dispatcher and my wife is a space planner. We have some engineers, insurance agents and real estate agents. There are several teachers in and outside music. It is our love of music that unites us into a choral group.
Q. Is this program for all ages?
A. It is a program geared for the young at heart. It is an hour and a half program, so very young children would have a hard time sitting still for that time. But for a little older child, it is a good introduction to a cappella singing.
Q. What do you like about performing?
A. I like when people come up to me after a performance and say they heard something they never heard before. I hope our performance puts forth the magic of the music to the audience. I hope there is a spark or freshness in the performance that a person couldn't get by just listening to a recording.
Q. When did you begin singing?
A. I began with some groups in grade school and church choir. I did not have the same voice as a teen and turned to instruments. About 20 years ago, I started singing with my wife and took voice lessons. I now conduct and sing.
Q. What type of music do you enjoy the most?
A. I enjoy contemporary or 20th century music because there is so much variety. It's fun to bring new music that people may not have heard before and they say, "Wow."
Q. What pieces of advice have you learned from being a director?
A. Respect the page. Several hundred years ago in music there were no directions on how to perform the piece. I have learned it is my job to interpret the composer as a guide to the singers.
Q. For someone not in the music business, what would come as a surprise?
A. There is a lot of work that goes into a performance. In sports, you need to do things over and over to develop muscle memory to get the best results. It's the same in music.
You play or sing between the notes. Just singing the notes does not make it music. It is all the extras you bring to the music. There is work involved to make the piece work as a team.
If you go
What: "Escape to … Wonderland" by Acappellago
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Naperville Congregational Church, 75th and Washington streets
Tickets: $14; $11 for seniors and students; free for children younger than 6; available at the door
Info: www.acappellago.org or (708) 484-3797, ext. 2