Capital Harmonia to Sing in their 3rd Annual Women’s Choral Festival Honoring Women’s History Month
By Sara Dudley Brown, Theatre Editor
“What IS Capital Harmonia?” you say. Well, in 2013, Mary Ann East, professor of music at George Mason University and who directs the women’s chorus of GMU, and Ellen Goldman, a long time singer, put together a group of women singers to present and embrace music written for women’s voices or created by women composers, and to perform for organizations dedicated to promoting and supporting the concerns of women. They called this group Capital Harmonia.
“Well, what are they doing that I can hear?” So glad you asked. Capital Harmonia is happy to be celebrating their 3rd Annual Women’s Choral Festival and Voices of Women in History, by performing “Anne Frank: A Living Voice”. Using excerpts from Anne’s diary and composed by Linda Tutas Haugen, it will feature the Capital Harmonia Chorus and their special guests, the Madeira School Glee Club, as well as a string quartet. The balance of the program will feature works by other female composers. The two women’s groups of about 26 voices each will be performing pieces such as “All My Trials” (a Spiritual) “Armani” (A Song of Peace), “Voice on the Wind”, “Lineage”, and several more lovely and challenging selections.
“I’m dying to go, where will it be?” Capital Harmonia’s and the Madeira School Glee Club’s performance begins at 4 pm on March 11 at the Community of Faith United Methodist Church in Herndon.
“OK, how much will it be?” This event is free to the public and if you go to the Harmonia website: www.capitalharmonia.org you can click on and hear several professional recordings of pieces in their repertoire. I did, and they impressed me! I plan to hear them on March 11.
“Who do you need to be to ask this group to perform for you?” Oh, good one! This group’s mission is to basically help the cause of women through their singing and their personalized choices of songs. The music Mary Ann picks for the chorus to sing is carefully chosen to promote the specific causes of the group for which they are singing. They want to perform only for groups who are interested in promoting their own agendas of serving the causes of women. Examples of these groups include shelters, women’s clubs, nursing homes, and organizations concerned with women’s health issues.
“If my group hires them, what will they sing?” First of all they charge no fee to perform. Their performance is their gift to your group. They do, however, accept donations. All of that information is on their website. The chorus performs music written by women composers and has a wide repertoire of songs from Classical to Broadway and Pop. They perform throughout the Washington Metropolitan area, pursuing their mission of “paying it forward” to help other women’s organizations. Some of their partners include the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, the AVON Walk for Breast Cancer, Eileen Fisher, House of Ruth, the Virginian, and many more.
“Could you give me information on the event again? Certainly. This is all you need to know… “The Capital Harmonia 3rd Annual Women’s Choral Festival Honoring the Voices of Women Today and Throughout History” will be presented on March 11, 2018, 4-6 pm at the Community of Faith United Methodist Church, 13224 Franklin Farm Rd., Herndon VA 20171. This event is free and open to the public. For more about Capital Harmonia, please visit: www.capitalharmonia.org
