BRATTLEBORO — After touring internationally and attracting an enthusiastic following on social media, Windborne performs at the Brattleboro Music Center Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.
Old songs and bold harmony combine for a profound vocal experience. This captivating show will draw on the singers' deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of the group's artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, Windborne's harmonies are anything but predictable.
With deep local roots and a 20-year background studying polyphonic music around the world, Lauren Breunig, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Lynn Rowan, and Will Rowan "share a vibrant energy onstage with a blending of voices that can only come from decades of friendship alongside dedicated practice," said organizers in a news release.
"The ensemble shifts effortlessly between drastically different styles of music, drawing their audience along on a journey that spans continents and centuries, illuminating and expanding on the profound power and variation of the human voice." The singers educate as they entertain, sharing stories about their songs and explaining the context and characteristics of the styles in which they sing.
BBC Traveling Folk describes Windborne as "subverting expectations and redefining the genre [...] just absolutely phenomenal!" The group is known for their technical mastery, "for the passion, engagement, and connection with each other and the audience that imbues each performance with a rare power."
But there's another, crucial dimension to Windborne that guides and roots their artistry, organizers say. They are adherents to folk music's longtime alliance with social activism, labor and civil rights, and other movements that champion the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Their latest project, Of Hard Times & Harmony, explores themes of social consciousness, singing in four languages and showcasing the depth of emotion their voices can evoke, as well as moments of true hilarity and wit.
The group is committed to bringing vocal traditions to a younger audience, and over the past year has found viral success on TikTok for such unusual genres as Corsican polyphony or early 20th-century labor anthems. Learn more at WindborneSingers.com or @Windbornesingers.
The concert is expected to sell out, so those interested are encouraged to get tickets as soon as possible. Tickets are $20 general admission, and $25 at the door. For tickets or more information, contact the BMC at 802-257-4523, email [email protected], or visit the BMC website at bmcvt.org.
This The Arts item was submitted to The Commons.