Join the Springfield Choral Society in celebrating Women's History Month with this festival celebrating the music and stories of women: Songs for the Unsung. We are thrilled to be partnering with the Sangamon County Historical Society, Dana-Thomas House Foundation and DNR State Historic Sites, and the UIS Music Program to present this unique and locally-rooted event!

Songs for the Unsung: Springfield Heroines
Friday, March 21st, 7:30pm, First Presbyterian Church
The small ensembles of the Springfield Choral Society join forces with actors from the Sangamon Historical Society, interweaving life-narratives of significant Springfield women with thematically-related works by female composers. Featuring music of Carole King, Meredith Monk, Hildegard von Bingen, Elaine Hagenberg, Barbara Strozzi, Dolly Parton, Moira Smiley, Chen Yi, and Dua Lipa.

Songs for the Unsung: Susan Lawrence Dana and the Fight for Women's Rights (Musical Tours of the Dana-Thomas House)
Saturday, March 22nd, 10:30am, 1:30pm, and 3pm, Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site
Seize this unique opportunity to experience history, music, and theatre within the confines of Springfield's greatest architectural landmark! This hour-long event will begin with a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright home, focusing on the extensive Women's Rights campaigning of its builder Susan Lawrence Dana. The tour will be intermingled with musical selections performed by SCS singers from the three "musicians' balconies" in the home, and will culminate in a seated performance of "A Great Lady Lived Here," adapted by Kevin Purcell and performed by Leigh Steiner. Not to be missed! With limited tour capacity, early reservations are strongly recommended!

Songs for the Unsung: Festival Concert
Saturday, March 22nd, 7:30pm, First Presbyterian Church
The full Springfield Choral Society joins with an ensemble of instrumentalists to present the spectacular Dixit Dominus of Marianna Martines, a friend of Mozart's who is finally also being recognized as his peer. Works by Ysaye Barnwell, Kim Baryluk, Andrea Ramsay, Clara Schumann, and Ethel Smyth round out this rousing program.