Description

The World House Choir invites you to our annual celebration of International Women’s Day: “Never Turning Back” on Saturday March 8 at 7:00pm in the Foundry Theater on the Antioch College campus, 920 Corry St., Yellow Springs. March 8th is a day to celebrate women’s struggles, accomplishments, and victories. International Women’s Day has its roots in the labor movements of the early 20th century.

The United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day in 1977; the global theme this year is “For all women and girls: Rights. Quality. Empowerment. Our International Women’s Day celebration is a time to gather momentum as we build on women’s victories of the past to face the struggles and victories to come in 2025.

 Plans include performances by Haitian singer Harriet Joseph, and the Haitian dance ensemble, “Authentic” from Springfield. Also performing is the multi-faceted soprano, Vidita Kanniks, who specializes in cross-cultural work combining her background in Indian Classical music and her Western classical training. The World House Choir will sing “Bread and Roses,” the classic women’s labor song, inspired by the Helen Todd. poem. The cry for “bread and roses,” arose in 1912, demanded by striking immigrant women textiles workers in Lawrence Massachusetts as they pleaded for fair wages, shorter hours, more leisure time, justice and dignity…..”yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too.” 

Artist, writer, and poet Iden Crockett will present an original poetic introduction to Sincerely Yours: Pauli Murray. The World House Choir is currently in rehearsal for our 2025 fall performance of the above named oratorio that tells the story of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, a civil rights activist, lawyer, poet and ordained Episcopal priest. Pauli was born in 1910 and today would have likely identified as transgender or nonbinary. 

On March 8th, we will sing “You Think You Know,” the introductory movement from this brilliant multi-part work by composer Steve Milloy (composer of “Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the Dream”). There will be lots of community singing as the choir invites you to join us in songs that we can take to the streets. We will also be accompanied by our wonderful string band, Linda Lou Scutt, Mary Beth Berkholder, Chloe Manor and Chris Westoff, for two rousing closing numbers. 

We are ever mindful of the prescient words of Coretta Scott King, “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won; you earn it and win it in every generation.”

Let’s earn it and win it in 2025.

Childcare is available, but you must reserve a spot by calling 937-207-1517
before March 1. 

All are welcome. 

Admission is free. 

Donations appreciated.