Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

'Leaping Lesbians': Artemis Singers returns with its first performance since pandemic began
by Kayleigh Padar
2022-06-02

This article shared 1843 times since Thu Jun 2, 2022
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


The members of Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, Artemis Singers, are preparing for their first concert in nearly three years. The show, "Leaping Lesbians! A Celebration of Lesbian Life," features music created by women that expresses themes of queer joy and resilience but also acknowledges the pain brought on by loss, social injustices and the pandemic.

The performance will take place outdoors at the Forest Glen Forest Preserve on Saturday, June 4, at 4 p.m.

"We want to kick off pride month really celebrating our community and remembering that we have a lot to be grateful for, and at the same time, holding the pain we've all experienced," said Katy Clusen, co-artistic director of the show who's been a member of the chorus for about 30 years.

Artemis Singers is a self-directing group founded in 1980 and intended to be a safe space for lesbians to connect with each other through music. The group usually performs at least twice a year but hasn't hosted a show since they were forced to move operations online at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

"Just being together and singing, even when we don't have an audience, is a feminist act," Clusen said. "There's something about singing in harmony with others that's profound."

The chorus, which typically includes about 25 members, makes almost all of its decisions democratically and only sings music written or arranged by women to uplift traditionally underrepresented voices.

"When we first started, it was empowering to see anyone to get on a stage and say, 'I'm a lesbian,'" said Loraine Edwalds, co-artistic director of the show who's been a part of the group for about thirty years. " As time has gone by, and that's become much more common, more people are seeing the chorus as an opportunity to raise up issues that are important."

Leadership roles are decided on a show-by-show basis and can go to anyone in the chorus, with members of the group managing every aspect of a show's production.

"Everyone has a voice at the table and an opportunity to shape who the chorus is," said Diana Clegg, the president of Artemis Singers who joined the chorus in 1993. "People contribute more than in a traditional choir because we don't have a choir director to give us all the instructions. It's an adjustment and it's not the kind of chorus everyone appreciates, but for those of us who've been here a while, we wouldn't want it any other way."

At monthly business meetings, chorus members decided on the show's themes and then voted on an extensive list of songs to narrow down the group's favorites.

The artistic directors chosen for this particular project, Clusen and Edwalds, then chose from the list to curate a cohesive set list, taking into account which songs best fit the show's narrative. Edwalds said they tried to choose songs that speak to current events and express the feminist, anti-racist values of the chorus.

"We'll tend to bring in music that will teach us something and that gives us an opportunity to share something with the audience they haven't heard of either," Edwalds said.

This year's performance will include the premiere of two original songs, "We Are the New Dawn" by chorus members Hilary Marsh and Karen Mooney and "Sing Lesbian Love" by chorus member Allison Downing as well as a song the chorus has performed for more than 40 years, "Leaping," by Sue Fink and Joellyn Grippo.

The group will also present "Say Her Name," by Alysia Lee, which addresses the police brutality Black women experience, among other songs by BIPOC artists that express themes of self-love and solidarity.

Midge Stocker, the production manager for the show, said she values the community created by the choir as much as she cares about the music they make together.

"We have a different kind of commitment to each other and to the music," said Stocker who joined Artemis Singers about thirty years ago. "We support each other through the good times and bad."

For those like Stocker who've been involved in the chorus for most of their adult lives, the group has become an invaluable support system.

"There's something indescribable about singing with these women, I mean, they've been in my life for thirty years," Clusen said. "It's a group of women who have been incredibly supportive of me and changed the trajectory of where I landed in life. This community is everything to me, from births to deaths, they've always been there for me."

Clegg said she knows these kinds of spaces are desperately needed because new members were joining the chorus even during the two years it was meeting entirely online—when Zoom meetings mainly involved singers getting to know each other and singing with muted microphones due to video lag.

"I feel like chorus practice is the only part of my week where I'm around people whose lives are similar to mine in a very core way," said De-Mekah Victorian, who joined the chorus about six months ago. "I'm able to have conversations that I just don't have with other people because they don't get it."

Anyone is welcome to join the chorus by signing up on its website. New members don't have to audition and are instead invited to attend a few rehearsals as a trial run before becoming permanent members.

"Part of our mission as a group involves educating people of all skill levels, so it's really fun to watch people learn more about music and singing and to see them grow," Stocker said.

For more information about Artemis Singers and the June 4 show, visit artemissingers.org/ .


This article shared 1843 times since Thu Jun 2, 2022
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event
2024-03-25
Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

'Rumors' performers create alternative drag playground
2024-03-24
At first glance, Dorian's Through The Record Shop (1939 W. North Ave.) looks like a brightly-lit shop with a handful of records on the wall, but there's a secret world behind those unassuming shelves. Visitors are ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman
2024-03-21
Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar'
2024-03-21
Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners
2024-03-19
Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance
2024-03-18
Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

Almost 8% of U.S. residents identify as LGBTQ+
2024-03-16
The proportion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to increase. LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as LGBTQ+, according to the newest Gallup poll results that ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition'
2024-03-15
Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it
2024-03-13
The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

Women's History Month doesn't do enough to lift up Black lesbians
2024-03-12
Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective (CRC) was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by ...


Gay News

No 'explanations' needed: Affinity remains a haven for Chicago's Black queer community
2024-03-12
Back in 2007, Anna DeShawn came out while she was studying for her undergraduate degree. At around the same time, she searched online for "Black lesbians in Chicago." Her search led her to Affinity Community Services, ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy
2024-03-08
COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer
2024-03-08
Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Affinity Community Services' Latonya Maley announces departure
2024-03-06
Latonya Maley, executive director of Affinity Community Services, announced March 6 that she would be stepping down from her post. The announcement came from a statement with Affinity board members. Maley said that, "It has been ...


Gay News

LPAC celebrates historic wins for LGBTQ+ candidates in Super Tuesday primaries
2024-03-06
From a press release: Washington, DC—Today, LPAC,the nation's leading organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary candidates to public office, proudly announces the outstanding victories of 67% of endorsed candidates ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.