WESTMINSTER WEST-The 65-voice River Singers Community Chorus will perform an eclectic concert of world music Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, at 4 p.m. at the Congregational Church of Westminster West.
The River Singers, in its 35th year, is a multi-generational community choir led by Mary Cay Brass. The choir sings a variety of community-based music from diverse cultural and musical traditions.
Brass will be joined by Kathy Bullock, Professor Emerita from Berea College, who is a workshop clinician, choral conductor, arranger, and scholar in the field of African American music and holds a doctorate in music theory from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. This is the 15th time that 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 a variety of traditional songs from the Balkans, a love song from the Republic of Georgia, ancient Lithuanian chants called sutartinės, South African church hymns, as well as traditional and contemporary shape note music.
The River Singers have instrumentalists as singers in the choir. Laurie Rabut will accompany songs on violin, and Andy Davis will lead the choir in his arrangement of an English pub song, “Row On,” and accompany on accordion.
Every River Singer concert is a benefit for a local or global peace initiative. This year’s concert will benefit Stand With Minnesota, an umbrella organization helping Minnesota recover from these last months. Admission to the concerts is $15–$25 by check, cash, or Venmo at the door only. For more information, contact mcbrass@vermontel.net.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.