Women’s choir strives for social justice through music, art

This month’s Anna Crusis Women’s Choir concert will fuse artistry and advocacy to relay the group’s commitment to promoting justice, peace and equality.

The organization — the oldest feminist choir in the country — will present its 34th-annual spring concert, “All Our Children Can Fly,” at 7:30 p.m. May 30 at The Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, 330 S. 13th St.

The concert will feature a performance by Amy Dixon-Kolar, whose song “Rosa Sat,” written shortly after President Barack Obama’s November victory, has drawn praise from around the world.

The song follows the progression of the civil-rights movement, highlighting how such activists as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. made Obama’s historic election possible.

Helen Carnevale, director of the choir’s marketing and promotions, said Dixon-Kolar, who will perform “Rosa Sat” along with the choir at the concert, is committed to working for positive social change, a goal Anna Crusis members also strive for through their own music.

“The song she wrote for Barack Obama gained some attention from our membership, and we thought it’d be a great idea to invite her to perform with us,” Carnevale said. “She shares a lot of the same values and does a lot of work in the social-justice field, so we thought it’d be a great match.”

In addition to the Dixon-Kolar performance, the 40 Anna Crusis members who will take part in the concert will also present such pieces as the world premiere of choir member Judith Palmer’s “A Mighty Shrug” and a Pete Seeger sing-along in honor of the folk singer’s 90th birthday, as well as its annual performance of “Bread and Roses,” written by Mimmi Fariña, founder of local nonprofit social-justice organization Bread and Roses.

In addition to its repertoire, Anna Crusis will also unveil a new award it created to honor local social-justice agents.

The choir will recognize Jane Golden, founder and executive director of the city’s Mural Arts Program, with its inaugural Anna Crusis Themis Award, named for the Greek goddess.

Carnevale said the award is part of the choir’s larger effort to expand its connection with other local groups that are striving to heighten and diversify the city’s cultural offerings.

“Right now we’re working to create great partnerships with the City of Philadelphia, as well as with other like-minded organizations that share our mission of peace,” she said. “We want to align ourselves with other organizations that are also trying to help promote the idea that Philadelphia is a great place to live and work and a great cultural destination.”

Carnevale noted that Golden, who created MAP in 1984, typifies this attitude.

“She really exemplifies artistic excellence through her contributions to the city. The program she started is a means to use the restorative power of art to fight crime and violence. We really wanted to recognize her as a person of excellence in the city and in the field.”

Tickets to the event are $25 and can be purchased at the door or at www.annacrusis.org.

Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].

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