Choir’s Fall Festival blends choral music, activism and the region’s community in harmony towards justice on November 9
McGRATHPR.com – The Social Justice Choir of Southeastern Massachusetts (SJCSM) invites singers and audiences from across the Southeastern Massachusetts region to listen in or sing at its “Fall Festival,” a weekend-long celebration of music, community, and service, with singer rehearsals on Saturday, November 8, 8:30 am to 4 pm, and Sunday, November 9, 1 to 3 pm, culminating in a free public concert on Sunday, November 9, at 4 pm, at Bridgewater State University’s Horace Mann Auditorium, 131 Summer St., Bridgewater. The festival welcomes both experienced and novice singers to join the combined ensembles of Bridgewater State University (BSU), the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD), and community participants.
Founded in 2022, the Social Justice Choir is an intergenerational ensemble led by husband-and-wife directors Dr. Ronald Sherwin, chair of UMD’s music, theater and dance programs, and Dr. Sarah McQuarrie, chair of BSU’s Department of Music. The choir is dedicated to exploring music as a vehicle for positive change, regularly programming works by underrepresented composers and pairing each season with a service project.
“A great choir facet is its two-campus partnership, shares Sherwin. “The collaboration encourages students and community members to develop a cross-campus friendship with singers from both campuses. Additionally, the ensemble’s region of impact is increased to span both Bristol and Plymouth counties, a great achievement that is just beginning to demonstrate the greater value.”
This fall, the choir’s repertoire includes Elaine Hagenberg’s “Refuge,” the traditional protest song “We Shall Not be Moved,” “Nia” from Nguzo Saba’s Suite op. 41, no. 5; and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow’s “Sing,” featuring participating youth singers in a tribute to resilience and unity. Audiences will also enjoy a lively rendition of the Doobie Brothers’ 1970s hit “Listen to the Music.”
SJCSM’s “Fall Festival” also launches two community support drives. Shelf-stable food items will be collected for the BSU and UMD food banks. The “Warmth in Cold Places” project, in partnership with Bridgewater’s First Congregational Church UCC, collects coats and cold-weather clothing for those in need. Attendees and participants interested in supporting these drives can bring donations items to the festival performance, or to Hunt Hall room 115, 26 School St., Bridgewater.
“Each season, we ask ourselves what role we play as singers and as citizens in this troubled world,” McQuarrie shares. “Singing may not change everything, but it lifts us up and helps us take action. Singing is the antidote to apathy, and refuge in a chaotic world.”
Singers may register to join the choir at tinyurl.com/ynf3d4xw. The SJC is open to community members of all ages and ability levels, welcoming everyone. Participation in the Fall Festival is free. Rehearsals are held on the Bridgewater State University campus, at Rondileau Student Union room 017e, on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7 pm throughout the semester, and on the UMass Dartmouth campus at 11:00 am in Room 104 at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA).
To register to participate in the “Fall Festival,” visit tinyurl.com/bdzz77hj. Audience members may arrive prior to the performance time on Sunday, November 9 at 4 pm. The Horace Mann auditorium is fully accessible. Free parking is available in the Boyden Hall parking lot, and paid parking is available in the Spring Street Parking Lot and the Commuter Parking Garage. Visitors can use the Passport Parking app to pay for hourly or daily parking. Paid ADA-compliant parking spaces are available for visitors with the proper placard.
Admission to the performance is free of charge, donations to support the choir’s mission are gratefully accepted. For more information, contact Dr. Sarah McQuarrie by email at smcquarrie@bridgew.edu, or follow the Social Justice Choir of Southeastern Massachusetts on Facebook.
About the Social Justice Choir of Southeastern Massachusetts
Founded in 2022, the Social Justice Choir of Southeastern Massachusetts (SJCSM) is an intergenerational ensemble led by Dr. Ronald Sherwin of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Dr. Sarah McQuarrie of Bridgewater State University. The choir brings together university and community singers to explore music as a catalyst for positive change, programming works by underrepresented composers and exploring themes of justice, equity, and social responsibility. In addition to presenting powerful concerts, the choir engages in service projects and a “Fall Festival” each season to create tangible impact in the community, demonstrating its belief that singing can both inspire and transform.
Singers may register to join SJCSM at tinyurl.com/ynf3d4xw. The choir is open to community members of all ages and ability levels. Rehearsals are held on the Bridgewater State University campus, at Rondileau Student Union room 017e, on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7 pm throughout the semester. For more information, contact Dr. Sarah McQuarrie by email at smcquarrie@bridgew.edu, or follow the Social Justice Choir of Southeastern Massachusetts on Facebook.
