UNC Loreleis hold spring concert celebrating a night of women and music

On Saturday night, UNC’s premier upper voices a cappella group, The Loreleis, held their annual spring concert in Memorial Hall. Throughout the night, the ensemble serenaded students, friends and family with an enchanting performance.

The Loreleis has primarily consisted of female a cappella singers for around 45 years, continuing the legacy of uplifting women through music. 

“It's not limited to solely women, but historically, it's been a group that has empowered women in a lot of different ways,” Workman said. ”So I think that's also really cool and something that I'm proud of.”

Named after the sirens who were said to swim the Rhine River and lead sailors to their deaths with their voices, The Loreleis have been spreading their love for a cappella at UNC since 1981. Their spring concert is a way to continue this tradition and showcase the group’s work, Abby Workman, music director of the group, said. 

“I'm just excited to share what we've been working on all semester with all of our friends and family and whoever wants to come to the concert,” Workman said.

As the theater lights dimmed at the start of the concert, hushed audience members leaned in, holding their breath in anticipation of finally hearing the singers' voices. The curtains rose, and colorful lights illuminated the group. It was showtime.

The group began by singing a set of songs from a combination of genres, including a Bruno Mars medley and “Lorelei” by Ella Fitzgerald. They sang and created different formations on stage during the performance, wrapping their arms around one another for a group hug at the end of each song. 

Following an intermission by Carolina Jump Rope, the group moved into senior features, the most sentimental part of the night. Each senior — Ramya Kunduru, Annah Ndirangu, Madeline Nguyen and Becca Stern — received a heartfelt speech from one of their fellow vocalists and followed it with a song of their choice. Tears were shed, smiles were exchanged and hugs were shared as each member reminisced about their memories of the year. 

“I think performing with the group for me has always been a way to not only explore my interest in music, but also create some of the best relationships that I could have asked for coming into college,” Kunduru, president of The Loreleis, said.

In preparation for the concert, the group began rehearsing and arranging songs a few months in advance. The music team and director worked on translating the setlist into a cappella after the group decided which ones to sing, and the group moved into developing choreography. Rehearsals are typically twice a week for two to three hours, but the group has been rehearsing each night this past week before the concert, Kunduru said.

“It's definitely a huge group effort,” Kunduru said.

In the process of rehearsing, The Loreleis also have the chance to connect with one another in a way only a cappella can allow.

“We always have a couple of moments every rehearsal where a song comes together exactly the way that it's supposed to, and we just feel it in our bodies,” Kunduru said. “We feel the difference and we understand, ‘Okay, that's how that's supposed to sound,’ and it's just a really magical moment.”

Something else that made this spring concert special for The Loreleis is the release of their ninth studio album, “A Crowded Room.” It has been in the works for four years, but was released in preparation for the concert. 

Groups like this provide a niche for students on campus and offer a place to give into a passion, Kelly Scholl, a junior at N.C. State and friend of Workman, said. 

“I think it's great that they found their community, and I think groups like this add a lot to school because of that,” Scholl said.

Although the performance season is over for The Loreleis, the memories they hold from the concert as well as their everlasting bond is to be cherished, and the group’s passion for a cappella will continue to be shared with UNC for years to come.

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