Multiple forms of love were expressed through song on Sunday.

The University Mixed Chorus and the Concert Choir shared the Dvorak Concert Hall stage in “Songs of love” and featured songs about romantic love, anti-love and love for country.

Songs about romantic love were featured in songs such as “The Moon is Distant for the Sea” by David N. Childs and “It was a Lover and His Lass” by P.D.Q. Bach.

The University Mixed Chorus also performed “O, No John” by John D. Miller Jr. to represent anti-love and “Homeland” by Gustav Holst and Z. Randall Stoope to represent the love for country.

Kayleigh Nuernberger, a sophomore music major, said she liked that each song sounded different.

“It had a wide variety of different music which I like, because I don’t like hearing the same sound,” Nuernberger said. “And they added humor to the performance.” Nuernberger said she liked that it was not all about romantic love.

“It was all different types of love, love for country, actual love, and anti-love,” Nuernberger said. “With Valentine’s Day coming up, it is nice to hear the different varieties of love.”

Melissa Whitten, an Altamont resident, agreed.

“I liked that they didn’t stick to romantic love, they switched it up,” Whitten said.

Janet McCumber, adjunct Instructor of Music and the director of the University Mixed Chorus, said she thought the concert was a good representation of the singers’ skills.

“I thought (the singers) did a wonderful job,” McCumber said. “They were very well prepared and they were very enthusiastic about the music.”

Sarah Todd, a graduate student and guest conductor for the Concert Choir, said she thought the concert went well.

“The Concert Choir worked very hard this week to make it go well,” Todd said. “It went as well as it could have gone.”

Donna Livingston, a resident of Oblong, said she enjoyed the concert.

“I enjoyed the spontaneity of the songs and I like the second song (“It was a Lover and His Lass”) that had them doing all different things,” Livingston said.

McCumber said Richard Rossi, the director of orchestral and choral activities and the director of the Concert Choir, was not able to be at the performance.

“We missed Dr. Rossi, but Sarah (Todd) did a fantastic job,” McCumber said.

The concert was also the world premiere of a composition by Rossi, “O Mistress Mine, Where Are You Roaming?”

Rossi wrote for Todd to read about his composition, “The musical setting you are about to hear was inspired on numerous walks along the streets of Chicago and several rides on the “L.” I found that I was able to block out the hustle and bustle of the city noise along with the screeching brakes of the train by turning my attention to composing as I carelessly made my way around the windy city.”

Rossi’s composition tells of the challenges of love.

“Even amidst loves uncertainties with its highs and lows, there are still those moments when time seems to stop and all doubts and fears seem to fade away,” Rossi wrote. “This sense of harmonious bliss reveals itself musically to the words: ‘Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty.'”

McCumber said she thought the composition was great.

“I thought it was beautiful,” McCumber said. “He always writes amazing, amazing stuff.”

Todd said she thought Rossi’s piece was a great piece for the choir to perform.

“I think Dr. Rossi is a fantastic writer,” Todd said. “He understands how the voice works, the mechanics of the voice, so his pieces are easy to phrase and easy to sing musically because of that. They almost sing themselves.”

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.