The deepest meaning of love will be shown through a selection of romantic songs on Sunday.

The EIU Choral Ensembles and Collegium Musicum will be performing “Songs of Love” at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Recital Hall of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

The EIU Choral Ensembles include the University Mixed Chorus, Concert Choir and the Camerata Singers.

Janet McCumber, adjunct instructor of music and the director of the University Mixed Chorus, said the University Mixed Chorus will be performing “The Moon is Distant From the Sea” by David N. Childs with text by Emily Dickinson.

McCumber said they will also perform “O, No John,” a traditional English folk tune arranged by John D. Miller.

The last song that the University Mixed Chorus will perform is Z. Randall Stroope’s arrangement of Homeland with the original tune by Gustav Holst and the original text by Sir Cecil Rice.

McCumber said she thinks love is sometimes seen as just between two people in a relationship.

“Our hope is that the audience and the performers will see that love takes many forms, not just romantic-love of country, love of family, friendship, the comic side of love, etc,” McCumber said in an email.

McCumber said while the performance is near Valentine’s Day, the show is not for that reason.

“Although the ‘Songs of Love’ concert is programmed at Valentine’s Day, I think it’s about so much more than that,” McCumber said.

McCumber said the idea of love that is represented by the compositions is deeper than the meaning represented by Valentine’s Day.

“Valentine’s Day (sweet and fun though it may be) is such a commercialized “representation” of love, and I’d like to think that we are putting forth ideas about love that transcend the typical Valentine’s Day idealization,” McCumber said.

The performance will be conducted by McCumber and Richard Rossi, the director of Orchestral and Choral Activities.

McCumber said these songs about love relate to everyone and is something that everyone understands.

“Everyone is welcome, and I think we have something to offer everyone who attends-the program represents a wide variety of musical styles and periods on the topic of love,” McCumber said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].