WEST BRATTLEBORO-Activist singer-songwriting and folk music icons, Sally Rogers, Claudia Schmidt, and Emma's Revolution join together for a benefit concert at All Souls Church in West Brattleboro on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m.
Funds are being raised for "Standing Together," a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice.
"At a time when we are all trying to come to terms with what's happening in Israel and Palestine, we think this fundraising concert can make a meaningful contribution to ease the suffering," George Carvill, the organizer of the concert at All Souls, said in a news release.
Sandy O of Emma's Revolution said, "War disproportionately affects women and children, and so we have chosen to make this concert a fundraiser for the Standing Together Movement, who are a movement of Jewish and Palestinian Israelis for a just and shared future."
In this time of conflict, Standing Together has focused its years of community-building activism for peace, equality, and social and climate justice to fight for life, freedom, and safety for Palestinians and Israelis. A portion of funds raised from this event will go to Standing Together's ongoing grassroots work to end the war and release the hostages, and their long-term work building the movement for peace, justice, and equality in Israel-Palestine.
This is the second year of the "Every Day Is Mother's Day Tour" to celebrate women's voices. Performers will share the stage again to create four-part harmonies to, as Pat Humphries of Emma's Revolution says, "Lift up mothers and foremothers, trailblazers and hell-raisers of all kinds." Sally Rogers adds, "The actions we can take and the songs we can sing to make this world a better place are the focus of our lives' work and will take center stage in these concerts."
Schmidt and Rogers have been perfecting their craft of performing for over four decades, both as solo artists and as a duo. Schmidt says hers is a quirky and wonderful hodge-podge (her word!) of music, poetry, story, laughter, drama, and celebrating the moment. Work in clubs, theaters, festivals, TV, and radio has added depth and dimension, and since she has always included her original work along with very personal versions of the work of others, "what you get is a unique look at the world from someone who says what she sees with clarity, humor, and wonder," say organizers.
Rogers began her career as a full-time touring musician in 1979, after encouragement from Stan Rogers, the Canadian singer-songwriter. That was followed by an invitation from Garrison Keillor to appear on A Prairie Home Companion. She appeared more than a dozen times on that show, which launched her performing career. Her travels have since taken her to Europe, China, Hungary and Poland, England and Scotland and across the United States.
"Her concerts enfold the audience in the music as they are encouraged to join in throughout the evening. Her gorgeous singing voice, boundless energy and good humor are welcomed from coast to coast," organizers say. Her songs are featured in the Unitarian and Quaker Hymnals and national school music textbooks. They are also sung by community groups in pub sings and by children on the playground.
Emma's Revolution is the award-winning activist duo of Pat Humphries and Sandy O. Now in their 22nd year, the duo writes songs about critical issues happening in the world, lending their voices to the movements those issues inspire and delivering "moving, uplifting performances."
Emma's Revolution's songs have travelled around the world and have been praised by Pete Seeger, covered by Holly Near, featured on NPR's All Things Considered and Pacifica's Democracy Now!, and sung around the world.
A feature documentary, Keep On Moving Forward, is being made about Emma's Revolution, their songs, and their work on the frontlines of peace and social justice movements by award-winning independent filmmaker, Tom Weidlinger. Weidlinger has been writing, directing, and producing documentary films for 35 years; many of his films have won festival awards and 25 have aired nationally on public television. The film is expected to be released in 2026.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Everyone's Books on Elliot Street in Brattleboro and on line at ascvt.org/mothersday.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.