MIDDLEBURY — The Rutland-based Ladies’ Night Out (LNO) Women’s Chorus will sing their spring program, “Poetry in Motion,” at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society on 2 Duane Court in Middlebury on Sunday April 24, at 3 p.m.
The pianist is Rita Lane, with Glendon Ingalls accompanying on bass viol. Lucy Allen Tenenbaum is artistic director and conductor.
Women from all over the western central part of Vermont are singing this semester. They come from Wells, Middlebury, Bridport, Wallingford, Proctor, Poultney, West Rutland, Pittsford, Shrewsbury and Rutland. They have been working since January at rehearsal sites in Rutland and Middlebury. The program includes favorites by the Gershwin brothers and Jerome Kern, Randall Thompson on Robert Frost poetry, a Sara Teasdale poem set by Seth Houston, Steven Paulus’ “Southern Harmony” tune, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and Gwyneth Walker’s set of three songs, “My Girls,” on texts by Lucille Clifton.
Also included are a piece on the biblical text from the Song of Songs, “Nigra Sum,” set by Pablo Casals; new music by sisters Julie Gardner Bray and Janie Gardner Cunningham, “Miniatures of Kin”; and “Navaho Prayer to the Ancient Mother.”
As always, the chorus concludes the Spring Concert with Gwyneth Walker’s “How Can I Keep from Singing?” All women singers who have sung with LNO before, or who know the piece from other choirs, are invited to join the choir on the stage for this final song.
Ladies’ Night Out started as a choir for Christmas caroling at nursing homes back in 1987. The group evolved into a chorus that forms afresh twice a year in September and January. New singers of all ages are always welcome to join.
Conductor and Artistic Director Lucy Tenenbaum is the choir director at CVUUS and has a master’s of music education in choral pedagogy. Every rehearsal has elements of a voice lesson with skilled pedagogy to help the singers improve, singing with more strength, endurance and beauty.
Suggested donations at the door are $10 per person, and $5 for seniors and students.
A second performance is at the First Baptist Church in Rutland on Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m.
For more information, contact Tenenbaum at 802-342-8348, 802-775-8004 or [email protected].