WEST BRATTLEBORO — Songs of joy, resilience, and justice will be the focus on St. Patrick's Day, Friday, March 17, at All Souls Church in a benefit concert with Annie Patterson and Peter Blood.
The concert is a benefit for CASP, the Community Asylum Seekers Project, to support people fleeing violence and repression to find a new life in southeastern Vermont.
CASP offers those seeking asylum resources for basic needs and accompanies them on their journey toward building a new life in the United States. The organization continues to sponsor and support many people in the Windham County area.
Annie Patterson and Peter Blood developed and edited Rise Up Singing, the group singing songbook, (1988), and its sequel, Rise Again (2015). They have led hundreds of singalong concerts and workshops across North America, New Zealand, and the UK.
Pete Seeger, who was actively involved in working both on Rise Up Singing and Rise Again, said their work has “made a qualitative difference in music in this country.”
Patterson is an accomplished folk performer, recording artist, and jazz vocalist. She was the art director of both songbooks and was producer and primary vocalist for the Rise Up Singing Teaching Discs. She accompanies herself on banjo, guitar, and cajon. Patterson sings with the bands Big Yellow Taxi, Dear Ella, and Girls from Mars.
Blood edited Seeger's autobiography, Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Singalong Memoir. He accompanies Patterson on fiddle and guitar.
This is a rare opportunity to hear Patterson and Blood together performing, songleading, and telling stories about creating their books and working closely with Seeger.
Tickets are $20, but attendees may pay whatever they can afford. Refugees and folks under 18 attend free. More information and ticket purchasing is available at (1)bit.ly/706-sing.