MUSIC

The 28+ voices of Lexington’s Halalisa Singers take listeners on a tour of music from around the world in “Bound for Glory: Songs of the Journey.” The vocal group’s winter concert taps into the universal dream of travel, both literal and figurative. Artistic Director Mary Cunningham Neumann conducts classic inspirational pieces including “Guide My Feet,” “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” “The Glory Train,” and Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Ysaye Barnwell’s arrangements of spirituals. A snappy version of Billy Strayhorn’s jazz classic “Take the A Train,” the sizzling Cuban number “Son de la Loma,” and the Zimbabwe greeting “Sorida” are representative of the chorus’s range, and its commitment to presenting music from around the globe. The concert also includes popular Korean folk song “Arirang,” a playful rendition of the Israeli number “Simona Mi Dimona” arranged by the Zamir Chorale’s Joshua Jacobson, and “Song for the Mira,” Allister McGillivray’s homage to Cape Breton waters. Rounding out the program are the sea chantey “I’m Bound Away,” “The Wayfaring Stranger” from the Sacred Harp, traditional South African and anti-Apartheid songs, and a poignant version of James Taylor’s “That Lonesome Road.” Joining the singers will be pianist Alla Vishnevetsky, percussionist Bertram Lehmann, and oboeist Kristin Fleischmann-Rose. The Halalisa Singers, formed in 1993 by renowned songleader and Mystic Chorale director Nick Page, are the greater Boston area’s premier world music ensemble. Halalisa is the Zulu word for “celebration”, and in that spirit, the Halalisa repertoire includes African, Latin, Spiritual, Jewish, Folk and Jazz music. A diverse group of men and women, The Halalisa Singers are inspired by the belief that music is a universal language with the power to uplift and unite us all. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mary Cunningham Neumann, this Lexington-based vocal ensemble is now in its fifteenth year offering performances in the Boston area.