BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Women's Chorus presents their annual spring concert “Sing, My Sister” on Mother's Day, May 14, at 4 p.m., at the Latchis Theatre.
Under the direction of founder/conductor Becky Graber, 90 local women sing uplifting songs about perseverance, courage, hope, and the power of singing.
They will be joined by five exceptional local musicians: Cathy Martin on piano; Julian Gerstin, Lisa Newell, and Ben James on percussion; and Lisa McCormick on guitar and banjo as well as with her ukulele orchestra.
Two songs on the program were arranged by Debbie Nordeen, the director of Womansong from Asheville, N.C., according to a news release.
One is Sing, My Sister, which was created by British singer Annie Lennox to raise awareness of and funds to help women and children in Africa with AIDS. The other is I Come From Women by Amy Carol Webb, which celebrates our female ancestry.
Two other songs were crafted by strong African-American women. I Am Determined is from Ysaye Barnwell, and One Foot in Front of the Other is by Melanie Demore.
Other pieces include Dig Down Deep by Libby Roderick; From Way Up Here by Malvina Reynolds and Pete Seeger; and two by Australian composer Lisa Young, Unity and Thulele Mama Ye, which feature the percussion section.
The ukulele orchestra joins in on Graber's arrangement of Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy as well as the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Albert Brumley's I'll Fly Away.