BRATTLEBORO — An online singalong concert of songs, to repair the breach and support asylum seekers, will support the work of the Windham County–based Community Asylum Seekers Project (CASP).
“Repairing the Breach, Songs for the Journey,” by Annie Patterson and Peter Blood, of Amherst, Mass., takes place on Saturday, May 8, at 7 p.m. as part of a tour that encourages the pursuit of social justice and charity within communities.
According to Patterson and Blood, the concert is inspired by the Rev. Dr. William Barber II and the Poor People's Campaign and will focus on “immigrants and asylum seekers among us, using music as a path to justice, spreading hope and putting a spotlight on the value of working together for a better world,” according to a news release.
Patterson is an accomplished folk performer, recording artist and jazz vocalist, and a member of the swing band, Girls from Mars. She performs regularly with The O-Tones and at folk venues in the U.S. and abroad. Her repertoire includes more than 2,400 songs from many genres, including Americana, contemporary folk, ballads, gospel, country and jazz. She is a master song interpreter, accompanying herself on guitar and banjo.
Blood was publications director of Sing Out, the nonprofit publisher of Sing Out! magazine. He edited Pete Seeger's autobiography, Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Singalong Memoir. He divides his time doing songbook, social justice, and interfaith work.
The duo has played a central role in creating a singing movement in North America and abroad with their songbooks Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. They have led hundreds of singalong concerts and workshops worldwide and have made it their mission to help create change for peace and justice through song. They accompany their songs with guitars, banjo, mandolin, autoharp, African drum and pennywhistle.
Tickets can be purchased at riseupandsing.org/events. Concertgoers will be sent a Zoom link and a song sheet.
Admission is by freewill offering, with a range of donation options available on the website.
CASP provides basic needs and a supportive community for those in the process of seeking asylum in the U.S., including local host homes, financial support, legal aid, and other daily needs. Its largely volunteer-based network assists seekers while they navigate the asylum claim process and make the necessary connections to settle into the community.
More information about CASP is available at caspvt.org or info@caspvt.org. For further information about the concert, contact unadolny@gmail.com.