Naperville concert serves songs about food

Chicago a cappella's new subject material is so yummy, audience members may want to gobble it up.

From tunes about sweets to songs about snacks, the concert “Tastes of Paradise: Music for Pleasures of the Palate is always delicious, say Chicago a cappella members.

Nutritious? Well, not so much.

“Songs about wine and mashed potatoes and peanut butter crackers it's not exactly a balanced meal, but it's great music, said Matt Greenberg, executive director of Chicago a cappella.

The nine-member professional classical vocal ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. today in North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville.

The singers will skip through 25 short pieces about food and drink dating back to a 13th century piece about wine.

Chicago a cappella's founder and artistic director, Jonathan Miller, cooked up the idea for the menu of music, inspired by a book about all the ways people have pursued substances that give them pleasure such as chocolate, bottled water, beer, wine and even cigarettes and coffee.

“We take a great idea and theme and illustrate it with phenomenal music, Miller said.

With song spoofs such as the mashed potato love poem about choosing between a person and a pile of mashed potatoes with a little bit of butter, the process of baking an apple pie and an angst-filled piece on cigarettes and chocolate sung whimsically, the concert flows through classic, jazz and pop music.

“Our intent is to grab the audience right away and not let go, Miller said. “We make it really fun. It's really inventive and playful. These are the best ensemble singers. Standards are very high. It's absolutely first rate.

While the ensemble performs without musical accompaniment, hence the “a cappella in its name, the concert is a smorgasbord of what voices can create from vocal percussion to voices acting as a bass instrument, said singer Betsy Grizzell, a Naperville resident.

“Some are humorous bits. We change the words, she said. “Also, a lot of people think of a cappella as ‘Glee,' and it's really not that way. We're nine soloists. We take turns doing solos, but we also work together.

While the foods featured in song sound tastefully innocent, it's an adult performance, singers say.

“This is definitely a concert for adults, even though we might be singing about potatoes and chocolate milk, Grizzell said.

Tickets are $35 for preferred seating, $28 for general admission, $22 for seniors and $12 for students.

For information call (773) 755-1628 or visit chicagoacappella.org.

If you go

If you go

What: Chicago a cappella's “Tastes of Paradise: Music for Pleasures of the Palate

When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10

Where: Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville

Cost: $35 preferred seating, $28 general admission, $22 seniors, $12 students

Info: (773) 755-1628 or chicagoacappella.org