Artemis Singers

Last updated
Artemis Singers
Choir
FoundedDecember 1980 (1980-12)
Genre Female composers, lyricists, or arrangers
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois
Website artemissingers.org

Artemis Singers is an American lesbian feminist chorus based in Chicago, Illinois. [1] [2] [3] Its goals are to create positive change in cultural attitudes toward women and female artists and to "increase the visibility of lesbian feminists." [4] [5]

Contents

Founded in 1980, it is one of the earliest lesbian feminist chorus in the United States. In 2008, Artemis was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. [6] The group only performs music created by female composers or lyricists, or arranged by female arrangers. [7] During the group's early period, they had an assigned traditional music director but the system gradually evolved into a self-organized, non-hierarchical system. [7] Currently, several members act as music directors during each performance. [6]

Selected performances

Source: [8]

Discography

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Womyn's Music Festival</span> Feminist music festival

The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, often referred to as MWMF or Michfest, was a feminist women's music festival held annually from 1976 to 2015 in Oceana County, Michigan, on privately owned woodland near Hart Township referred to as "The Land" by Michfest organizers and attendees. The event was built, staffed, run, and attended exclusively by women, with girls, young boys and toddlers permitted.

Alix Cecil Dobkin was an American folk singer-songwriter, memoirist, and lesbian feminist activist. In 1979, she was the first American lesbian feminist musician to do a European concert tour.

The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses is an international association of LGBT choruses founded in 1982. In its inaugural performance 14 choruses performed together in September 1982 in San Francisco as part of the first Gay Games. It aims to foster artistic and organizational development within its member choruses. The association includes almost 10,000 vocalists in over 100 associated choruses singing as male, female and mixed ensembles in a wide variety of styles. GALA Choruses produces a large festival every four years, in addition to a number of smaller annual workshops and conferences.

Women's music is music by women, for women, and about women. The genre emerged as a musical expression of the second-wave feminist movement as well as the labor, civil rights, and peace movements. The movement was started by lesbian performers such as Cris Williamson, Meg Christian and Margie Adam, African-American musicians including Linda Tillery, Mary Watkins, Gwen Avery and activists such as Bernice Johnson Reagon and her group Sweet Honey in the Rock, and peace activist Holly Near. Women's music also refers to the wider industry of women's music that goes beyond the performing artists to include studio musicians, producers, sound engineers, technicians, cover artists, distributors, promoters, and festival organizers who are also women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus</span> LGBT choral group in Philadelphia, PA

The Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus (PGMC) is a choral organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1981, it is one of the oldest gay men's choruses in the United States, and is a cultural fixture in Philadelphia. The Chorus is affiliated with the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). The Chorus has performed with the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware and the Anna Crusis Women's Choir, and has participated in several GALA festivals. The chorus is currently under the artistic direction of Joseph J. Buches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AMASONG</span> Amateur choir in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois

AMASONG is a GLAMA- winning lesbian/feminist amateur choir based in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The group was created by Kristina Boerger in 1990. The group consists of about sixty women who perform female-oriented, folkloric, and classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Gay Men's Chorus</span>

The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC) is a choral organization in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1983 with 55 singers, the chorus currently consists of approximately 150 singing members and over 200 members in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus</span> Worlds first openly gay mens chorus, credited with creating the LGBT choral movement

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) is the world's first openly gay chorus, one of the world's largest male choruses and the group most often credited with creating the LGBT choral movement.

Seattle Men's Chorus (SMC) is an LGBTQ community chorus based in Seattle, Washington. The group was founded in 1979, and today is, along with Seattle Women's Chorus, the largest community choral organization in North America. SMC is a member of GALA Choruses and Chorus America.

Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus (MGLC) was founded in Australia in 1990 by a gay performer and activist, Lawrence Emanuel (1966). The chorus was first named 'AL sounds', due to its part affiliation with the Foundation. In April 1994, the name was changed to Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus, reflecting the chorus's organizational independence and a desire to further challenge stereotypes.

Diverse Harmony is an American youth chorus based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2002, it is the first Gay-Straight Alliance youth chorus in the United States. Today, Diverse Harmony is an LGBTQ-Ally youth chorus, and their stated mission is "to create a safe, affirming environment where everyone is accepted for who they are." In addition to singing members, the chorus has an extensive support network of volunteers, subscribers, and donors; they are also a non-profit organization. Diverse Harmony is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, and was the first youth chorus to participate in a GALA Choruses Festival. The chorus appeared in the independent film Why We Sing, which has been screened at LGBT film festivals and on PBS stations across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus</span> Gay mens chorus in Atlanta, Georgia, US

The Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus (AGMC) is a nonprofit performing arts organization based in Atlanta, Georgia (US). The AGMC, along with the Atlanta Women's Chorus, are managed under their parent organization, Voices of Note.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. (GMCW), is one of the oldest LGBT choral organizations in the United States. With more than 300 singing members, it is also one of the largest. The chorus's stated mission is that it "delights audiences and champions gay equality with robust artistry, fun, and surprise." In addition to singing members, GMCW has nearly 100 support volunteers, 400 subscribers, 500 donors and an annual audience of nearly 10,000. The parent organization is the Federal City Performing Arts Association, Inc., and GMCW is a member of GALA Choruses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Gate Men's Chorus</span> American Mens choir

Golden Gate Men's Chorus (GGMC) is a gay men's chorus founded in 1982 and located in San Francisco. The GGMC is a group of 50 ethnically and socially diverse gay and gay-supportive men. The GGMC presents spring, summer, and winter programs annually, in addition to numerous guest and community benefit performances throughout the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain Moving Coffeehouse</span>

The Mountain Moving Coffeehouse for Womyn and Children was a lesbian feminist music venue, located in Chicago and known across the United States. It operated for thirty-one years, from 1974 until 2005. The name of the organization evokes the political task that feminists must "move the mountains" of institutional sexism and homophobia. The alternative spelling of "womyn" represented an expression of female independence and a repudiation of traditions that define women by reference to a male norm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Crusis Women's Choir</span>

The Anna Crusis Feminist Choir is the longest-running feminist choir in the United States, founded in 1975 by Dr. Catherine Roma, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ANNA Crusis is known for its dedication to social justice, focusing on a wide range of repertoire including feminist and LGBTQ+ themes, celebrating the strength, resilience, and solidarity of marginalized communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pink Singers</span> Longest-running LGBT choir in Europe

The Pink Singers were formed on 7 April 1983, making the Pinkies the longest-running LGBT choir in Europe.

Nedra Johnson is an American rhythm and blues and jazz singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has performed internationally at jazz, blues, pride and women's music festivals as a solo artist, a tuba player, and vocalist.

Seattle Women's Chorus(SWC) is a community chorus based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2002, the group is the largest LGBTQ-identified women's chorus in the world. SWC is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses) and Chorus America. Both Seattle Women's Chorus and Seattle Men's Chorus are governed by the same non-profit organization, Flying House Productions. Combined, they are the largest community chorus in North America.

<i>Radical Harmonies</i> 2002 American documentary film

Radical Harmonies is a 2002 American independent documentary film directed and executive produced by Dee Mosbacher that presents a history of women's music, which has been defined as music by women, for women, and about women. The film was screened primarily at LGBTQ film festivals in 2003 and 2004.

References

  1. UGC, Chicago Tribune. "ARTEMIS SINGERS PRESENTS JUNE 1 PRIDE CONCERT AND DANCE". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  2. "Artemis Singers Voices of Joyful Rebellion at First Unitarian Church of Chicago | Metromix Chicago". chicago.metromix.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  3. "Nonprofit (Chicago): Artemis Singers". idealist.org. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  4. "Center on Halsted - Chicago's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center". www.centeronhalsted.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  5. "Artemis Singers - Chicago | Chicagoland LGBTQ Services Directory". chicagolgbtservices.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  6. 1 2 Baudler, Liz (May 28, 2014). "Mother, daughter part of artemis singers". Windy City Times. Chicago.
  7. 1 2 Maxwell, Carrie (November 12, 2014). "Artemis singers: Celebrating 35 years of shows". Windy City Times. Chicago.
  8. "Our Herstory". Artemis Singers. 2014-08-28. Retrieved 2023-10-17.