AMASONG

AMASONG is a GLAMA (Gay and Lesbian American Music Award) award-winning lesbian-feminist amateur choir based in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The group was created by its founding director Kristina Boerger in 1990. The AMASONG choral group is a highly trained chorus of about 60 women who perform women-oriented, folkloric and classical music.

Foundation

In 1990, a year before beginning her master's degree in choral conducting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Boerger decided to form what she advertised as a lesbian/feminist chorus called AMASONG. The group's name was a play on the words "amazon" and "song". Boerger said, "The word amazon conjures up images of strong women who make their own decisions. It was a way of coding our group in a certain way."

Boerger posted flyers around town about her new choral group, AMASONG. Many local women responded to the flyers. A roomful of women showed up at the first choir rehearsal, consisting mainly of lesbians, feminist housewives and students. Boerger said that the decision to label AMASONG as lesbian/feminist was important. In the PBS documentary produced by Jay Rosenstein, entitled, "The AMASONG Chorus: Singing Out", Boerger explained, "There's lesbian-feminism with a hyphen, which refers to woman who are lesbian and feminist. But if you put a diagonal slash between, then it means either or. And that's very important. Whenever I tell people on the phone who we are, I make sure they get the punctuation correct. It doesn't mean you have to be both to get in the choir. It means you've got to be one or the other." The choir's first members were diverse in interest, age and experience.

Music genre

AMASONG's repertoire is heavily inspired by folk music from various global cultural traditions, music written by women, and other genres of music reflecting women's life experiences.

Leadership

AMASONG records and performs regularly. It is now under the direction of choir director, Meagan Johnson Smith.

Founding director, Kristina Boerger stepped down from her position as choir director and relocated to New York City in 2000. Boerger now conducts Cerddorion, a 28-voice volunteer chamber ensemble. She also lectures in music history at Barnard College and teaches choral conducting at the Manhattan School of Music. She tours and records with the Western Wind, which is an a cappella sextet, and the Pomerium Renaissance vocal ensemble. In addition, she is currently recording for Bobby McFerrin and collaborating on works for movement and vocal ensemble with the Christopher Caines Dancers.

Awards

*1999, GLAMA award for Best Choral Group—For "Shenandoah," an American folk song arranged by Kristina Boerger for a cappella chorus. "Shenandoah" is from AMASONG's "Amai" CD.
*1999, GLAMA award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition—For "Draum om Nedsnodde Bruer" ("Dream of Snow-covered Bridges"), composed by Kristina Boerger and Michael Cameron for women's voices and double bass accompaniment. "Draum" is from AMASONG's "Amai" CD.
*1997, GLAMA for Best Choral Group—For "Strange Fruit" from AMASONG's debut CD, "Over Here the Water is Sweet", arranged by Kristina Boerger.

Albums

* 2003, "Laulu Voim The Power of Song"
* 2000, "Amai"
* 1997, "Over Here the Water is Sweet"

External links

* [http://www.prairienet.org/amasong/index.html AMASONG's Official Web Site]
* [http://www.queermusicheritage.com/awards.html The Gay & Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMA)]
* [http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/amasong/ PBS documentary, The AMASONG Chorus: Singing Out]