|
Event
Artemis Singers presents: AMAZON WOMEN RISE
June 1, 2013, at 7:30pm.
Ticket are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. $10 for seniors (65+) and children (12 and under). The ticket price includes admission to both the concert and the dance.
Artemis Singers celebrates the power and experience of lesbian community. Come enjoy the songs--and join in the dance!
The theme of this concert, Celebrating Lesbian Community and Culture, is embodied in the concert's opening song, "Amazon" by Maxine Feldman. That powerful anthem of the annual Michigan Womyn's Music Festival is always sung on opening night of the festival by the featured artists, with the audience of all women and girls responding to the magical call of "Amazon women, rise!" by rising to dance and sing along. The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology, which strikes a chord with Artemis Singers, whose namesake goddess Artemis is known as the goddess of the hunt.
Other songs in this special Pride Concert evoke elements of the strength and vibrancy the lesbian community:
* Barbershop-style song "Fishing" brings a particular element of lesbian community to heart for Artemis Singers, as the chorus commissioned this song in memory of long-time sustaining member Michaeline Chvatal (1947-2008), a self-described "big old out lesbian queer dyke woman," who shared many stories of growing up in Chicago as a dyke, having crushes on the nuns, in the days when being 'out' carried a significant amount of risk.
* "Crushes," one of the earliest songs by iconic lesbian singer-songwriter Alix Dobkin, recalls the exuberance of a girl's youthful crushes.
* "Shooting Star" by women's music legend Cris Williamson proclaims the intensity of one woman's love for another: "I'll go through a desert for you."
* "Away Ye Merry Lassies," a quick-moving, Celtic-style tune with hammer dulcimer and hand drum, exhorts, "It's a girl's night out. Away ye merry lassies! Get your brooms, get 'm out. We'll ride the wind tonight!"
* "Shadows," arranged for Artemis Singers by Liz Pazik, was written in 1982. This song speaks to a time when women's love for one another was often fearfully hidden in the shadows, rather than celebrated with pride, and to the toll that hiddenness took on many women's relationships.
* "Never Turning Back" by Pat Humphries, the unofficial theme song of the UN 4th Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, and "Something Inside So Strong" by Labi Siffre, inspired by the history of apartheid South Africa, are both anthems that were written for specific social justice contexts and have been adopted by many, including the GLTB movement.
A number of songs in this concert's program have musical and/or lyrical contributions by current members of Artemis Singers: "Amazon" arranged by Karen Mooney, "Favorite Dyke Things" (parody of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music) and "I Enjoy Being a Dyke" (parody of "I Enjoy Being a Girl" from Flower Drum Song) with additional lyrics by Loraine Edwalds an Ruth Clark, "Fishing" with lyrics by Loraine Edwalds, "Love and Affection" arranged by Luanne Adamus, "Never Turning Back" arranged by Luanne Adamus and Allison Downing.
About Artemis Singers
Still going strong after 33 years, Artemis Singers: Chicago's Lesbian Feminist Chorus is comprised of women with diverse backgrounds who are dedicated to performing music written or arranged by women. The chorus works to effect positive change in cultural attitudes toward women and women artists, as well as to increase the visibility of lesbian feminists.
Our goal in selecting and performing music is to provide an emotionally moving, spiritually and aesthetically uplifting, and politically motivating experience to our audience. We want to entertain, amuse, and educate; to highlight historical, political, and personal events and experiences common to women; and most of all, to share a sense of community with our audience. We put on public concerts once or twice a year, as well as performing at private functions and fundraisers by invitation.
Membership is open to all women singers, regardless of musical background. No audition is required.
We are a self-directed chorus; we have no paid director. Women who choose to direct Artemis Singers may direct one or many songs, and we may have six or more different directors during the course of any single performance. Our music is selected at meetings open to any member who chooses to participate.
For more information, go to www.artemissingers.org
|
|
 |
LocationBroadway United Methodist Church (View)
3338 N. Broadway Street
Chicago, IL 60657
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
|
Contact
|
