By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
On the last Sunday of February, members of the German-American Club ventured out into the frigid afternoon air to be dazzled by the Boylston Schul-Verein (BSV) Sängerchor Boston, as they presented a cabaret concert.
The hall room quickly filled up with audience members of all ages, who eagerly anticipated the performance to begin. When the clock struck 2:30pm, the performers waltzed onto their stage to the tune of the piano, played by their conductor Richard A.A. Larraga.
The singers attire was reminiscent of the 1920s: the female performers donned sensational flapper style outfits, while their male counterparts dressed in suits, sans jacket, and a top hat.
Ilse Lister, the chair of the BSV Sängerchor Boston, welcomed everyone first in German, then reiterated in English. “Some of these songs are from the 1920s and 1930s, which was the heart of the cabaret in Berlin,” Lister explained to the crowd, providing a background as to why the group elected to perform the songs within their line-up.
Lister introduced each performer, one-by-one, before beginning their set. When their conductor gave his command, the performers arose and began. The first song they performed was entitled, “Schalat aus dein handy,” which translates to: turn off your cell phone. It was quite the hilarious way to begin their show, while also reminding their audience members to be respectful of their performance.
The vast majority of the songs were humorous, including “In eien Harung jung und stramm,” which was a children's song about a flounder who falls in love with a heron, “Wer Schnupfen hat,” which detailed the stresses of dealing with the common cold, which was accompanied by a chorus of sneezes, and “Meine Oma fährt Motorrad,” which translates to: my grandmother rides motorcycle. This tune was accompanied by an actress who dressed up as an elderly woman, riding around on a prop motorcycle. The crowd roared in laughter during these tunes; their delight was apparent.
Some of the more serious songs included, “Das macht die Berliner Luft,” which was sang in celebration of the capital of Germany, Berlin, “Lili Marleen,” which is a German love song that rose to popularity during World War II; this song became popular among both Allied and Axis powers due to its relatability. “Lili Marleen'' was about “a soldier who hoped to meet his girl again under the light of a lamp post,” one of the performers, Angelika Evans, informed the crowd.
The singers performed a tango, entitled “Unter den Pinien von Argentinien,” which was accompanied by a beautiful dance performance, which delighted the crowd, as they cheered and catcalled the dancing duo.
Although all the songs were sung in German; the spectators did not have to be familiar with the German tongue to enjoy both the hilarity of the fun songs and the angelic voices of all the BSV Sängerchor Boston performers.
For more information about the BSV Sängerchor Boston, please visit their website: saengerchorboston.com
