Choruses for Change
There are hundreds of terrific choruses that have a mission of creating a better world through their music. Here is a small sample. Support their important work!
Let us know more that you know of! email us at info@riseupandsing.org
Here is a great article on this whole phenomena: "The Rebirth of Resistance Choirs" by Justine Kurland, in Topic (Issue #24, June 2019).
LABOR CHORUSES
laborchorus.com/choruses has a listing of nine choruses in the US & UK.
- Charm City Labor Chorus (Baltimore MD)
- DC Labor Chorus (Wash. Post article: "DC Labor Chorus: The Musical Arm of the Resistance")
- Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble (arm of Black Workers for Justice in NC)
- New York City Labor Chorus
- San Francisco Rockin' Solidarity Labor Chorus
- Seattle Labor Chorus
- Solidarity Singers of NJ State Industrial Union Council
- Black Workers Center Chorus (Washington DC) - contact Luci Murphy via Facebook or 202.234.8840
- Solidarity Notes Labor Choir (Vancouver)
Solidarity Sing-Alongs originated with singalong resistance in the Wisconsin state capitol to Gov. Scott Walker's anti-labor policies. Site includes info on Solidarity Singalongs in Walworth Co. WI, Austin TX, and Lansing MI
WOMEN'S CHORUSES
Sister Singers Network has a geographical listing of over 90 feminist choruses across US and beyond: https://www.sistersingers.net/listings-geographical
- Anna Crusis Women's Choir (Philadelphia)
- Brooklyn Women's Chorus (above is a video of the chorus singing at our 2015 Rise Again release concert)
- San Diego Women's Chorus - an LGBTQ-identified feminist sisterhood of musicians
- MUSE (Cincinnati OH)
- Calliope Feminist Choir (Athens OH)
- Brattleboro (VT) Women's Chorus
- Voices Rising (Boston)
Feminist ensembles:
- Vocolot (Berkeley CA)
- Sweet Honey in the Rock (Washington DC)
- Libana (Boston)
JUSTICE CHOIRS
Justice Choir is a template to encourage more group singing for social justice. Designed around our Justice Choir Songbook, our goal is a grassroots movement to engage in the empathetic, collaborative, and collective power of singing together to create change. There are 15 local chapter choirs across the U.S. This grassroots movement began at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. https://www.justicechoir.org/
PEACE CHORUSES
RESISTANCE / PEACE & JUSTICE CHORUSES
- Côr Cochion Caerdydd (Cardiff Reds Choir - in Wales)
- Nottingham Clarion Choir (England)
- Occupella (Bay Area, California)
- Resistance Revival Chorus (New York City) 60 women & non-binary musicians. "Musicians exploring activism & activists exploring music" Facebook page
- Rev. Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir (New York City) - a progressive chorus working around issues of climate change, consumerism, gentrificaton, etc.
- Sing in Solidarity (New York City) - a project of NYC Democratic Socialists of America
- Thrive Choir (Oakland CA)
- Voices Rising Philly (Philadelphia) Facebook page. a group that wants to sing at rallies to protest the Trump administration, steady minds and uplift hearts.
- World House Choir (Yellow Springs OH)
COMMUNITY CHORUSES
- Common Thread Chorus (Toronto)
- One City Chorus (St. Petersburg FL)
- Midcoast Community Chorus (Rockport ME)
- Mystic Chorale (Boston MA)
- Syracuse Community Choir (Syracuse NY)
- Echoes of Peace Choir (Duluth MN/Superior WI)
America the Dream is a choral project based on an updated version of the song "America the Beautiful". Videos, free SATB scores, information & resources are available at americathedream.org
