Everybody loves a singalong. There are formal singalongs of choral masterworks in concert halls and there are informal singalongs of folk songs around the campfire, but few have participated in a “Carmina Burana” singalong, a veritable meeting of the sacred and the profane.
J. Reilly Lewis, music director of the Cathedral Choral Society, readily concedes that this may be a totally wacky concept and not the first composition that comes to mind under such circumstances, but he is thrilled that singers of every ability are among the Carl Orff fans signing up for Sunday’s blockbuster gathering in the Washington National Cathedral. Their response reflects the legions throughout the Washington area who clamor to hear the work wherever and whenever it is performed and cannot wait to satisfy their curiosity about this extraordinary format and exhibit their vocal prowess at the same time.
