Social Band's VT Composers Project

Social Band’s Vermont Composers Project	In April 2005, Social Band premiered an exciting program of new choral works commissioned from 25 diverse Vermont composers. These consistently high quality new works range in styles from the shape-note tradition to gospel-influenced to the quirkily arty. Following the three debut concerts, Social Band presented our Vermont Composers Project at locations throughout the state of Vermont, culminating at our Homecoming Concert and CD Release Party on November 12, 2005. Many appearances were in collaboration with Preservation Trust of Vermont and their 25th Anniversary celebration. We released our new CD with many selections from the project!
Articles About the Project: Calling Forth the Choral Community: Social Band Showcases Vermont Composers (PDF, 78 KB) By Alan Lewis, November 18 - 24, 2005, Special to the Vermont Guardian Vermont Composers Project, the Social Band (PDF, 76 KB) By Mark Sustic, October 31, 2005, Calendar of Folk, Traditional and Roots Music and Dance Events in (or close to) Northern Vermont The Social Band Project (PDF, 81 KB) By Tom Slayton, April 28, 2005, Vermont Public Radio Commentary Social Band sings Vermont’s music (PDF, 73 KB) By Jim Lowe, April 13, 2005, Barre-Montpelier Times Argus Social Band’s Herculean task will reverberate into the future (PDF, 121 KB) By Dan Wolfe, April 13, 2005, Burlington Vermont Times Vocal group’s latest gig is all Vermont, all the time (PDF, 83 KB) By Jim Lowe, Mar 27, 2005, Barre-Montpelier Times Argus Composers represented include Mary Alice Amidon, Peter Amidon, the late Rachel Bissex, Betsy Brigham, Patti Casey, Tom Cleary, Susan Comen, Sara Doncaster, Billy Drislane, Jon Gailmor, David Gunn, John Harrison, Michael Hopkins, Seth Houston, R.W. Keller, Jorge Martin, Anna Patton, Troy Peters, Thomas L. Read, Robert Resnik, Katie Shimizu, Moira Smiley, Stephen Spitzer, Pete Sutherland, and Liz Thompson. Follow the links to the Composers’ own web pages, or read more about the composers here: Composer Biographies (PDF, 139 KB). Our goals with this project are to: SUPPORT choral composers in the creation of new works; ENCOURAGE composers who have never written for chorus to do so; PERFORM new, quality choral works for audiences around the state; LEAD composing and community singing workshops throughout the state; RECORD the new works and produce the Vermont Composers Project CD; INSPIRE composers, audience members, and workshop attendees to create new songs.
Social Band’s Vermont Composers Project was supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Vermont Community Foundation Arts Endowment Fund, by a generous gift from the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund, and by the many gifts from our patrons.

Burlington, Vermont’s lively band of singers