Animaterra is a women's chorus in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire, USA. We are a non-profit organization, formed by women to communicate through music of the world's traditions. We welcome all women in a community of song, reaching out to all people locally, regionally and globally. We offer an environment of learning and shared musical artistry in which women, whether beginners or experienced, can express themselves through music.
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June 12th 2011
Serving pancakes at our Applebees fundraiser!
Many thanks to all who made it a successful fundraiser! We did well, and there’s talk of doing it again next year!
Smiling faces greeted the customers!
Photos by Chuck and Kathy Bruce.
June 3rd 2011
You are invited to an Applebee’s Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast to support Animaterra Womens Chorus, this Saturday, June 11!
This will be a delightful opportunity to eat an inexpensive breakfast of flapjacks, juice and coffee for $5 ($1 extra gets you bacon as well), served by Animaterra members who will sing to you during the course of the morning.
The event is from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Applebee’s on Key Road in Keene, NH.
The proceeds will help Animaterra keep its membership dues down during this challenging economic time.
For information, go to the Contact section of the sidebar, or just show up at Applebee’s this Saturday!
May 22nd 2011
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
April 26th 2011
Our Spring Concert is almost here! For more information, click on the dates on “Upcoming Events” on the right hand side of the page.
On March 8, 1911, International Woman’s Day was founded. It was originally designated to bring awareness and support to working women around the world. Later it expanded to support issues for all women. This past March, 2011, groups around the world marked the event. Animaterra helped with a flash mob, and our song, When Every Woman in the World, was sung in many places around the globe!
Women’s issues are still pertinent today. So are civil rights, LGBT rights, Children’s rights, Mens’ rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the rights of each and every individual on the planet. But what we are learning is that we must come together and work together for freedom and justice for all, or our fragmentation will lead to entropy and chaos.
This, more or less, is the message of our upcoming Spring concert, entitled One Voice. We start by honoring the legacy of our foremothers of the labor movement, and women around the world who have risked their lives for the greater good. But the theme of the songs quickly evolves to celebrate the goodness of life, and the unity of us all.
There will be many opportunities to sing along- please join us on May 14 in Keene, or May 15 in Peterborough.
March 29th 2011
In the past, in this space I have talked about the health benefits of singing.
This post will remind us that keeping ourselves in good health is good for the voice!
Your singing voice operates through the combined good practices of your whole body, from your feet to the top of your head. Exercise can help with circulation, posture, stamina and strength, to make you a better singer. Walking is a wonderful way to keep your body strong and healthy and promote better singing!
Breathing is a fundamental part of singing. You can maintain a healthy breathing habit through practices such as yoga and meditation. Stretching the body, such as in yoga, also helps with alignment, posture, and strength.
Animaterrans stretching during warm-ups at a recent rehearsal.
A good diet, particularly one that is low in dairy and gluten, will keep your sinuses clear and your voice melodious!
Blueberries are good for you!
Most importantly, engaging in physical activities that give you pleasure will add to your health as a human who sings!
Have you noticed how all of these will not only make you a better singer, but a healthier, happier person? It flows both ways- singing is good for your health, and good health will make you a better singer!
February 24th 2011
Every once in awhile we are called upon to help a neighbor in need. Animaterra has sung at weddings, funerals, and other community events to help raise funds or awareness, and to bring the joy of song to situations where the community is gathered.
Next month we will be joining our voices with two shining lights of the folk music world: Garnet Rogers and Lui Collins, in support of Mary Desrosiers, who lost her house in a devastating fire last November.
Animaterra will open the concert, and will sing with both of these luminaries of the folk world. We are honored and delighted to be a part of this event.
For more information, look to the sidebar under “Upcoming Events” and click “Benefit concert”. We hope you will come share in this wonderful example of community support!
February 7th 2011
NEW MEMBERS STILL WELCOME!
Animaterra continues its new rehearsal season on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011. This week and next week we are still accepting new and returning members (after Feb. 22, membership will be closed until the Winter, 2011 season begins in September).
There will be a social time with tea and snacks at 6:15. Rehearsals begin promptly at 6:45 and end at 9:00 p.m.
The theme of this season is “One Voice”, the unity of all people. Animaterra is open to all women who love to sing, from responsible young women (you know if you are “old enough” for Animaterra- age 10? 11? on up!).
The season will feature songs from South Africa, Hawaii, France, and a wide range of periods and regions of the USA. The music is positive and full of hope and joy. You are welcome to join us!
February 1st 2011
The Animaterra Prospective Member’s Party has been rescheduled!
New date: Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011
Langdon Place of Keene, 136 Arch St., Keene
6:00-7:00 PM PARTY!
7:00-9:00 PM New rehearsal season begins!
Prospective members are urged to stay for the rehearsal. No commitment will be required until Tuesday, Feb. 22.
December 15th 2010
For the next several posts, members of Animaterra will write about why they sing, and what Animaterra means to them. Thank you, Laurie, for these thoughts:
My Reasons for Singing
My mother was a very musical person, from a musical family. In fact, she was offered a scholarship to Duke University to study opera. But, being 17 in 1952, marriage to my dad seemed the better choice. So, she postponed higher education to move to Massachusetts and marry my dad and raise a family.
Although my mom never did study music, it was central in her life. She was always singing – when she was washing the kitchen floor, doing the dishes or giving us kids a bath. She sang in the church choir, she sang in the car on the way to visit relatives. And we kids sang along with her – songs like “Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley,” “This Land is Your Land” and “If I Had a Hammer.” There were many nights I remember going to sleep listening to the stereo playing Vikki Carr or Engelbert Humperdink.
So, I guess it’s easy to see why music and singing are so important to me. Music evokes wonderful memories of my childhood, and feelings of love for my mother and my family. But, I think singing is more to me than that. It is so fundamental to me, It not only makes me smile, it nourishes my soul.
Some say that prayer and meditation are key ingredients to true contentment. Meditation is defined as being completely focused on the “now” – not thinking about what might have been or what may happen in the future (which is what we spend most of our time thinking about). When I am singing it is the purest form of meditation.
I sing with Animaterra because, quite simply, it feeds my soul. It is a feast of melody and harmony shared by an extraordinary group of women who support each other both while we’re singing and when we’re not. Does music feed your soul? Does it make you happy? Then sing it out!
Laurie Donohue
