New Work Documents the Struggle of Generations to
Establish and Protect the Constitution’s 19th Amendment
The Susquehanna Valley Chorale (SVC) will present a brand-new choral work for their spring performance, Amendment: Righting Our Wrongs, on Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 17 at 3 pm at Stretansky Hall on the campus of Susquehanna University.
This new choral work celebrates women’s suffrage through underrepresented voices and brings to the forefront those who still fight for the right to vote today.
William Payn serves as Conductor and Music Director of the 60-member ensemble and David Cover serves as Accompanist.
The first part of the performance features pieces which promote awareness and advocacy for voices that have gone unheard. It will include songs such as: Light of a Clear Blue Morning with words and music by Dolly Parton and soloist Kathi Beiter and Everybody Says Don’t with words and music by Stephen Sondheim and featuring Dick Adams on guitar, Jack Lawton on drums, bass guitarist Chris Wheeland and David Cover on synthesizer.
The second part of the performance will feature the new choral work, Amendment: Righting Our Wrongs which was composed by Melissa Dunphy and features cellist, Jonathan Dexter. The work includes six movements: The Quest, All Men Are Created Equal, We Hold These Truths, Identity Politics, Pledging Allegiance, and Amendment.
The SVC is proud to be part of the consortium that commissioned this important work.
Melissa Dunphy specializes in composing vocal, political, and theatrical music. She first came to national attention when her large-scale work The Gonzales Cantata was featured in The Wall Street Journal and on The Rachel Maddow Show. Dunphy is the recipient of an Opera America Discovery Grant for Alice Tierney, commissioned by Oberlin Conservatory. Other recent commissions include works for Experiments in Opera, the BBC Singers, VOCES8, and Cantus. Dunphy is also a Barrymore Award-nominated theater composer and Director of Music Composition for the O’Neill National Puppetry Conference. Dunphy has a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.M. from West Chester University and teaches at Rutgers University. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Matt; the Dunphys are co-hosts of the popular podcast The Boghouse about their adventures in Philadelphia colonial archaeology.
Several local organizations will offer resources at the performances including the League of Women Voters of Northumberland County and Transitions of PA. The League of Women Voters of Lewisburg will serve as ushers.
Sponsors for the performance are Elsbeth Steffensen and Walter Bruce in Memory of Richard Steffensen, Co-sponsors are Lois and Tom Clark and Leta Jo and Fred Maue, and Underwriters are Ruth Anderson and William Payn, Harmonious Endeavors, Barb Walzer, and Diane and Ted Meixell.
Tickets for the performance are $25 for adults and $10 for students.
Tickets are available online at SVCMusic.org, by calling 570-547-0455 or at the door.
For more information about this performance and future performances, visit SVCMusic.org.