April 30, 1998

Womensing To Perform at Middlebury

College’s Mead Chapel

Womensing, an a capella group of eight

women, will perform Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Middlebury

College’s Mead Chapel on Hepburn Road, off College Street (Route

125). Based in Addison County, Womensing is characterized by a

global range of musical selections.

“We sing music of hope,”

says Womensing member Barbara Boyd, “music that keeps people

going in spite of challenges and difficulties.” A typical

grouping of Womensing’s songs begins with a South African freedom

chant, moves to a Chinese folk melody, continues with a French

Canadian love song and finishes with an Appalachian round or an

African-American spiritual. While far reaching in origins, most

of the songs in Womensing’s repertoire address the universal themes

of community, friendship, love, nature and freedom. Unique arrangements

featuring solo voices and tight harmonies further complement the

material. The group regularly invites the audience to participate

in a song.

Womensing evolved out of a larger group

by the same name, which met monthly to share music. In 1992, the

smaller group began performing in public at fundraisers, coffee

houses. Within the last few years, Womensing has broadened its

performance schedule, delighting audiences at the Middlebury Festival

on the Green, Middlebury College Center for the Arts, and at Burlington’s

First Night.

The performance is free and open to

the public. For more information, please contact Anna Sun, Womensing

member, at 443-5520.