MARION — The Wickenden Chapel at Tabor Academy will sound reminiscent of Paris in the late nineteenth century on Sunday, May 5 as the Sippican Choral Society will perform “Songs of Solace,” their 2024 spring concert.

The concert will feature music meant to be comforting and “make people feel better,” said the choir’s president Kelli McSweeny.

Among other pieces of music, the Sippican Choral Society will be performing late French composer Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem,” a composition consisting of seven movements.

According to McSweeny, the “Requiem” was played at Faure’s funeral, but is not a sad piece of music.

“The Requiem has beautiful and powerful songs, nothing too weird or exotic,” said McSweeny. “It’s music that I think will appeal to the average listener, [you don’t] have to be a lover of choral music.”

McSweeny gave credit to the choir’s music director Darry Dolezal for preparing the group over the last few months.

“He knows how to bring out the best in the singers,” said McSweeny. “We have definitely improved from the first rehearsal.”

According to McSweeny, the group is made up of over 30 singers and practices once per week for two hours.

“We’re an amateur group, but we don’t want to be thought of as amateurs,” said McSweeny. “I hope that the audience comes away recognizing that we are a group of singers, with no professional singers, that come together and try to make a professional sound.”

McSweeny said that the group will aim to not just nail every note on Sunday but pass along the emotion of the music to the audience.

Karen DeVoe is one of the choir’s members who will be tasked with performing a solo. She has been singing with the Sippican Choral Society for 27 years.

“I hope [the audience] is immersed in the music and gets lost in the beauty,” said DeVoe. “I hope at the end they appreciate that we have this wonderful little group in our community, and that's a very special thing to have.”

DeVoe described the music as “beautiful and uplifting” and said the group has been working very hard.

“I love to come here and sing every week and do whatever I can to help the group as well,” said DeVoe.

“Songs of Solace” will be performed by the Sippican Choral Society on Sunday, May 5 at Tabor Academy’s Wickenden Chapel at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for students. Children 14 and under can attend free of charge.