Past Performances

Taking Wing: A Concert of Songs that Soar
Fall 2017 Concert

December 9 & 10, 4:00 pm
McKinley Presbyterian Church
corner of 5th & John Streets, Champaign
Suggested donation $10–20. More if you can; less if you can’t.

Escape the bonds of gravity with music by women who look to the skies for inspiration, strength, and comfort. Amasong will perform songs of birds, bees, and things with wings, letting our voices soar and lifting your spirits.

Music Director, Jill Crandall

And She Will Rise
Spring 2017 Concert

Resist, persist, RISE!

spring 2017 concert flyer

4pm Saturday April 29 and Sunday April 30.
$20 suggested donation; more if you can, less if you can’t.
McKinley Presbyterian Church,  809 S 5th Street, Champaign (corner of 5th and John)
Free parking is available in the parking garage on 5th Street across from the church.

Aurora: A Light Undimmed
Winter 2016 Concert

15109359_10154850821344284_7643459246294903500_nSaturday, December 10, 4:00 pm
Sunday, December 11, 4:00 pm

McKinley Presbyterian Church, 809 S. 5th Street, Champaign (corner of 5th and John).
Free parking is available in the parking garage on 5th Street across from the church. Admission is a suggested donation on a sliding scale (more if you can, less if you can’t.)

Concert with Joan Szymko, Composer in Residence

Saturday, October 22, 7:30pm

httpwww.joanszymko.com/about

With UIUC Women’s Glee Club, UIUC Chamber Singers, the Indianapolis Women’s Chorus (led by Amasong’s previous director Meagan Johnson), and several other area university and college choirs, Amasong performs the work of prolific American choral composer  Joan Szymko.

Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performning Arts
Tickets : $10 general
$7 SC Senior citizens: age 65 or over, or retired U of I faculty and staff
$4 STU Non-U of I college studentsUI Current, full-time U of I student, and youth high school and younger

For more information, see the Krannert Center calendar.

Pride Parade457049_757f3e16a00848bc808db83a1b5a406f

Saturday, September 10, 3:00pm

Look for us in the parade in downtown Champaign! The parade route map (pdf) is here. For more information on events at this year’s Pride Festival, Love > Hate, click here.

Flight: Songs of Migration
Spring 2016

Flight_web

Saturday, April 9, 7:00pm
Sunday, April 10, 4:00pm

Amasong, Champaign-Urbana’s Premier Lesbian/Feminist Chorus, presents its Spring concert, “Flight: Songs of Migration”, Saturday April 9 at 7 pm and Sunday April 10 at 4 p.m., McKinley Presbyterian Church, corner of 5th and John, Champaign. With this performance, Amasong honors and affirms the humanity of refugees, migrants and displaced people everywhere. Songs from all corners of the world invite listeners to contemplate the varied meanings of flight: from harrowing escape to soaring freedom.  Please join us; all are welcome.

BRAVA! 25th Anniversary Concert
Music Premiered by Amasong
Fall 2015

Print

Saturday, November 7, 4:00pm
Sunday, November 8, 4:00pm

Featuring founding director Kristina Boeger, previous director Meagan Johnson, and many other special guests!

Not for Sale: Celebrating Women’s Work and Worth
Spring 2015

spring 2015 concert graphic

Saturday, April 25, 7:00pm
Sunday, April 26, 4 :00 pm

Amasong’s Spring concert, “Not For Sale: A Concert Celebrating Women’s Work and Women’s Worth,” will be in late April, Saturday April 25th at 7PM and Sunday April 26th at 4:00PM, ushering in a change of schedule for the Amasong season. We’ve come a long way, and we celebrate our achievements as well as explore the road ahead in music from around the globe. Free parking is available in the parking garage across from the church. Sliding scale donations for the concert.  There will be a raffle for Amasong’s newest CD during intermission

Gathering In: Songs of the Harvest
Fall 2014

Gathering-InSaturday, November 1
Sunday, November 2

Amasong’s Autumn concert “Gathering In—Songs of the Harvest” will be November 1 and 2, ushering in a change of schedule for the Amasong season. The concert features music from around the world about reaping the fruits of our year’s labor, no matter how great or small. Amasong is happy to welcome members of the klezmer string band Don’t Ask, as well as the always fabulous pianist Rachel Jensen.

CU Pride 2014

Champaign-Urbana Pride Parade September 6!

Sister Singers Network Festival:
Returning to Our Roots
Hosted by Amasong

Saturday, July 26, 7:00pm

Tryon Festival Theater
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Buy tickets in advance or day-of at Krannert!

 

Seeds of Hope
Spring 2014 

2014 spring concert art

Saturday, May 3, 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 4, 4:00 PM
McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 S. 5th Street, Champaign
Suggested donation $15-$25 (less if you can’t, more if you can)
Free parking in the garage at the NE corner of 5th and Daniel

Amasong’s Spring Concerts will feature music from six continents in seven languages celebrating the innate joy and promise we experience in the struggles of life.  In addition, the title track of each of our four previously released CD’s will be sung as we joyfully anticipate the release of our latest recording, “Everything She Touches Changes.”

Circling the Sun
Winter 2013

2013 winter Circling the SunSaturday, December 7, 2013, 7:30 PM
Sunday, December 8, 2013, 4:00 PM

McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 S. 5th Street, Champaign

Join Amasong for our winter concert, Circling the Sun: Songs Celebrating All the Seasons of Life. This concert encompasses the variety of the passing seasons, the diversity of music from different ages and cultures, and explores the complexities of musical meter. With harp, drum, flute and string we raise our voices to honor time.

Suggested donation $15-25 (more if you can, less if you can’t)
Sign interpreted for the hearing impaired

Amasong at C-U Pride Festival

Saturday, September 14, 2013
2:15 pm performance, inside Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana
http://unitingpride.org/pride2013

Wheels and Sails: On the Move with Amasong!

Sunday, May 5, 3:00pm
Urbana Free Library, Lewis Auditorium

Families and travelers of all ages are invited to join Amasong for this transportation-themed children’s concert. Enjoy songs about sailing and trains and some sing-along fun with the classic Wheels on the Bus.

Wayfaring Woman
Spring 2013

Saturday, May 18, 2013, 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 19, 2013, 4:00 PM
McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 S. 5th Street, Champaign

Suggested donation $15-25 (more if you can, less if you can’t)
Sign interpreted for the hearing impaired

Since humankind stood up and looked to the horizon, we have been traveling creatures. Songs of the way from here to there have been with us just as long. This May, journey with us as Amasong explores songs of seafaring and train travel, of leaving home and joyfully returning, stories of getting ahead together and of going it alone. We will sing in Finnish, Zulu, Taiwanese, English, and even Piratese!

The Tree of Life
Winter 2012

2012 winter - Tree of LifeSaturday, December 15, 7:30 PM
Sunday, December 16, 4:00 PM
McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 S. 5th Street, Champaign

“Run, children run….I’ve got a right to the tree of life!” These words begin Amasong’s Fall 2012 concert. Human life cycles are not dissimilar to those of the trees. We draw inspiration from forests and woods, shade and canopy – our seasons also bring forth life, love, growth, and restoration. Like the roots of an oak, we dig deep for meaning and sustenance. Flowering trees of springtime and summer lush greens mirror humanity’s desire for love and beauty both in the sacred and secular worlds. The brilliant hues of fall and the dormancy of winter remind us to be spectacular in all stages of life as well as to seek rest, peace and restoration – never giving up hope for rebirth as even at life’s end we celebrate lives well-lived.

Suggested donation $15-25 (more if you can, less if you can’t)
Sign interpreted for the hearing impaired

Passages
Spring 2012

Amasong spring 2012 poster

Saturday, May 19, 2012, 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 20, 2012, 4:00 PM
McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 S. 5th Street, Champaign
Suggested donation $15-25 (more if you can, less if you can’t)
Sign interpreted for the hearing impaired

Amasong presents Passages, a concert exploring themes of change, transience, and transformation. Featuring devotional songs to the Sacred Feminine from Africa and medieval Europe, contemporary compositions by American women, and folk music from South India to the Bahamas to the Republic of Georgia. Please join Amasong as we celebrate change and experience the transformational power of song!

Free Family Concert!

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 4:00PM
Good Shepard Lutheran Church
2101 S. Prospect Avenue, Champaign

A kid-sized preview of Amasong’s spring concert, with more room to wiggle and our permission to giggle! Hear songs from around the world, with drumming and plenty of space for dancing.

The Spirit Is Moved!
Winter 2011

2011 fall December concert flyer copy
Saturday, December 10, 7:30pm
Sunday, December 11, 4:00pm

Join Amasong for a high-spirited concert of songs and dances from around the world. Sung in ten different languages, this program of music and movement will inspire your heart – and your feet – to dance. Enjoy vocal music from four continents: traditional dancing songs of Serbia, Ghana, Afghanistan, and the Huron Native Americans, Renaissance devotional music from Spain, contemporary composition by Meredith Monk and many more celebratory pieces. Featuring Subhalakshmi Kumar, Bharatanatyam (South Indian Classical) dancer, Josh Houchin, bass, and others.

Sign interpreted for the hearing impaired and wheelchair accessible.

Song Circle/Performance
Folk and Roots Festival

Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 4:00pm

From the festival website (http://folkandroots.org/site/2011-events-a-activities/item/197-songs-of-dance-with-amasong): Amasong is back again with a song-circle featuring music and dance from around the world! This 3rd-annual event at the CUFRF is your chance to join the women of Amasong: Champaign-Urbana’s Premier Lesbian/Feminist Chorus for an energetic and inspiring hour of participatory singing. Learn rounds, chants, and songs in many languages from Amasong’s own repertoire, and the traditional movements that go with the singing. The workshop will be led by singers from Amasong under the direction of Meagan Johnson.

AMASONG Celebrates 20 Years of Song!
Spring 2011

2011 Spring concert flyer
Saturday, May 21, 7:30pm
Sunday, May 22, 4:00pm

Over the past twenty years, AMASONG has been known for our diverse repertoire, exploring the range of women’s experiences around the world, bringing songs in dozens of languages to life. Come celebrate with us, hear favorites from the past and see some familiar faces, and open your ears to exciting new music, including the premiere of a commissioned work by music director Meagan Johnson.

 

 

Women’s Words, Women’s Voices
Spring 2010

2010 spring Amasong flyerSaturday, May 22, 8:00pm
Sunday May 23, 4:30pm

Amasong celebrates the unique voices of women in a concert dedicated to  settings of women‘s words from around the world. Sung in Yoruba, Gaelic, Georgian, Romanian, Hebrew, and English, we explore how womenthroughout the ages have spoken and written of their experiences–from the daily rhythm of working songs to the transcendence of spiritual poetry. Join the voices of Amasong for a whirlwind of women‘s words!

Songs of Power
Winter 2010

Saturday, December 11, 7:30pm
Sunday, December 12, 4:00pm
Music can change the world. From the Underground Railroad in the United States to the struggles against Apartheid and AIDS in South Africa…From the empowerment of one woman in the ancient world, to a Chinese feminist revolutionary a century ago, to the peace and justice movements of today…Singing has the power to join minds, hearts, and hands in work for positive change. Join us for a special winter concert, the first of our 20th anniversary season, and hear AMASONG give voice to SONGS OF POWER that will inspire your thinking and ignite your spirit.
McKinley Presbyterian Church, Champaign, IL
Suggested Donation $15-$25 (more if you can, less if you can’t.)

Elements
Winter 2009

Saturday, December 5, 8:00pm
Sunday, December 6, 4:30pm
Amasong will explore how earth, air, fire, and water are not  only the building blocks of nature, but mirrors of human experience. Ancient chants, lush harmonies, and modern experimental sounds mingle with traditional music of Croatia, Ghana, and the coal-mining
country of the United States. Featuring a performance of Windhorse by Pauline Oliveros. Special guests: Leila Ramagopal, harp, and Matthew Gladden, piano.McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 S. Fifth St., Champaign, Illinois

Granny’s Porch
In cooperation with the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music and other local musicians

Friday, November 20, 2009, 7:30PM

The Virginia Theater, 203 W. Park, Champaign, Illinois

GLAD Concert
sponsored by GLAD: Gay & Lesbian Association of Decatur

Sunday, November 15, 2009, 3:00 pm

First Presbyterian Church of Decatur
204 W. Prairie, Decatur, Illinois

Deep Listening Workshop with Pauline Oliveros

Saturday, November 14, 2009, 3:00-5:00pm

McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 S. Fifth St., Champaign, Illinois
Free admission

Mills Breast Cancer Institute Concert Series

Thursday, October 22, 2009, noon

Mills Breast Cancer Institute
602 W. University, Urbana, Illinois

Free admission

Song Circle
Urbana Folk and Roots Festival

Friday, September 25, 2009, 6:00 PM

Amasong will lead a song circle at the first-ever Urbana Folk and Roots Fest. Come sing with us!

Independent Media Center
202 S. Broadway, Urbana, Illinois

Free admission.

So Glad I’m Here!
Spring 2009

2009 spring - So Glad Im HereSaturday, May 2, 2009, 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 3, 2009, 4:30 pm

Amasong: Champaign-Urbana’s Premier Lesbian/Feminist Chorus presents “So Glad I’m Here!” under the direction of Meagan Johnson Smith.  Featuring vocal music from Norway, India, Scotland, Ireland, Brazil, Canada, and the United States, sung in original languages. Amasong invites you to celebrate being in the here and now with this joyous program of song. Featuring Chad Dunn on percussion.

McKinley Presbyterian Church
809 South Fifth Street, Champaign

Suggested Donation $10-$20 (more if you can, less if you can’t)

This concert is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

 

Sounds of Home
Winter 2008

2008 winter - Sounds of Home
Saturday, December 13, 7:30pm
Sunday, December 14, 4:00pm
Special guests: Reflections Dance Company, Amy Fuller, Kent Conrad, and Phil Clark
McKinley Presbyterian Church

Renewal
Spring 2008

large_posterSaturday, May 3, 7:30pm
Sunday, May 4, 4:00pm

Amasong: Champaign-Urbana’s Premier Lesbian/Feminist Chorus presents its spring concert, “Renewal.” In celebration of the wonder of nature and the greening of the year, Amasong weaves together music from five continents to tell the story of humanity’s connection to the Earth.

Amasong is in its 17th season and is directed by Meagan Johnson.

McKinley Presbyterian Church, 809 S Fifth St (corner of Fifth and John), Champaign.
The suggested donation is $10-$20, more if you can, less if you can’t.

This concert is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois.