GRAFTON — The 95-member River Singers chorus will perform an eclectic concert of world music on Saturday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m., at The White Church on Main Street.
The River Singers, a multi-generational community choir led by Mary Cay Brass, sings a wide variety of community-based music from many cultural and musical traditions. Ms. Brass will be joined by guest conductor, singer and gospel piano player, Dr. Kathy Bullock of Berea, Ky.
Bullock has been a Professor of Music at Berea College for 19 years, where she directs the Black Music Ensemble, a 70-voice choir that specializes in performance of African-American sacred music. She performs, lectures and leads workshops in the United States, and internationally on music and culture of the African diaspora.
This will be her fourth residency with the River Singers, teaching the choir a wide range of thrilling gospel songs that are then performed with the rest of the repertoire that the choir has studied this session.
The River Singers typically includes songs of the Balkans as that is of particular interest to Brass who, earlier in her career, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the former Yugoslavia. This concert will feature a famous Croatian spring ritual song cycle called Ladarke. This contemporary composition of three movements slowly builds in dynamic intensity until the final movement – a vibrant, thrilling, and almost frenetic dance/song.
The River Singers have been thrilled to have two singers from Rwanda joining them this session, both graduate students at Antioch University. They have taught the choir a rousing Rwandan gospel song to the accompaniment of guitar, piano and drums. Rwandan singer Appolinaire William will sing the lead in this heart-felt song of praise.
Another compelling aspect to River Singers concerts is that they are committed to exploring and sharing various styles of American regional folk songs ensuring that they, too, are a valued part of the wider world music community. This concert will feature two songs in the early New England shape note tradition, Winter and Spring, and a song by the Wailin' Jennies, Glory Bound, in the Appalachian tradition accompanied by the River Singers String Band.
A hauntingly beautiful contemporary devotional song in Arabic and a renaissance piece by William Bird, a Georgian sacred Easter chant, and more will round out this season's concert.
Every River Singer concert is a benefit for some global or local project. This spring's concert will benefit scholarships for this summer's Village Harmony camp in the Republic of Macedonia. Admission to the concert is a suggested donation of $12, $8 for seniors and students. For information about the concert contact mcbrass@vermontel.net or visit www.marycaybrass.com.