BRATTLEBORO — The 19th annual fall concerts of the Brattleboro Women's Chorus - “Give Me Wings,” songs of travel - will be performed the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The multigenerational chorus of 80 women under the direction of founder Becky Graber is accompanied on guitar by guest musician Peter Siegel, known to local and national audiences as a singer-songwriter, composer-player of traditional fiddle tunes, and most recently a member of the world-beat Celtic band The Gaslight Tinkers.
The idea of travel in the songs ranges from Siegel's “Home,” about the courage to stay in one place, to Ali Burns' “Give Me Wings,” about a longing to rise above the troubles of the world.
Travel doesn't need to be far, as in Carol King's “Up on the Roof” and “Walkin' After Midnight” made popular by Patsy Cline, both arranged in four-part harmony by Graber.
From South Africa comes “Sizo Hamba,” and from Zimbabwe, “Shosholoza.”
Among the other songs is the delightful “Would You Like to Take A Walk?” which was sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, and as the lyrics say, “Sumpin' good'll come from that.”