WESTMINSTER WEST-The 60-voice River Singers Community Chorus will perform an eclectic concert of world music on Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, at 4 p.m. at the Westminster West Church. The River Singers, in its 34th year, is a multi-generational community choir led by Mary Cay Brass. The choir sings a thrilling variety of community-based music from many diverse cultural and musical traditions.
Brass will be joined by Dr. Kathy Bullock, Professor Emerita from Berea College, who is a workshop clinician, choral conductor, arranger, and scholar in the field of African American music. This is the 14th time Dr Bullock has worked with the River Singers sharing the joy of gospel, spirituals, freedom songs, and West African praise songs.
The River Singers Choir is dedicated to musical diplomacy, using music as a bridge for learning about and enjoying other cultures while, at the same time, using their concerts to benefit peace-building projects. This concert will feature love songs from the Balkans, a marching song from the Republic of Georgia, Lithuanian sutartines, South African church hymns, as well as traditional and contemporary shape note music.
The choir will also feature the song Hope Lingers On by local fiddler and singer/songwriter Lissa Schneckenburger - a classic song for our times celebrating peace, hope, love, and justice.
Laurie Rabut will accompany the choir's songs on her violin and viola, and Stefan Amidon will be joining them on percussion with dumbek, djembe, and cajón.
Every River Singers concert is a benefit for a local or global peace initiative. This year's concerts will support refugee resettlement in southern Vermont. Admission to the concerts is $15-$25 by check or cash at the door only. For more information contact mcbrass@vermontel.net.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.