The Anna Crusis Feminist Choir is the longest-running feminist choir in the United States, founded in 1975 by Dr. Catherine Roma, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ANNA Crusis is known for its dedication to social justice, focusing on a wide range of repertoire including feminist and LGBTQ+ themes, celebrating the strength, resilience, and solidarity of marginalized communities.
Led by Artistic Director Miriam Davidson, ANNA’s membership embraces diversity of age, ethnicity, and gender identity; our repertoire reflects the rich spectrum of human lives and struggles. The songs we sing tell a variety of experiences and perspectives that point our singers and audiences to a greater understanding of the rich diversity of the world in which we live.
ANNA self-produces two major concerts each year and performs many community outreach programs throughout the season. We can often be heard singing at benefits, rallies, LGBTQ+ community events, and anywhere that music can bring a sense of hope and empowerment. ANNA has performed at numerous venues in Philadelphia and New York City, such as the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Annenberg Center, World Café Live, the United Nations, and Carnegie Hall. ANNA was invited to participate in the International Festival of Choirs held in Santiago de Cuba in October 2019. ANNA has also sung with artists including Dr. Ysaye Barnwell (Sweet Honey In the Rock), Demi Lovato, Hugh Jackman, Holly Near, Moira Smiley, Melanie DeMore, Sharon Katz, and the Peace Train, The Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus, Philadelphia Voices of Pride, The Philadelphia Freedom Band, Sister Cities Girl Choir, Nashirah Jewish Chorale of Philadelphia and a host of others.
ANNA is a founding member of GALA, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses. GALA is the world’s only association dedicated to serving the LGBTQ+ choral community, with more than 190 chorus and 10,000 singer members in North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and Australia.
ANNA is also a member of Sister Singers Network, a cooperative web of feminist choruses and ensembles, composers, arrangers, and individual singers working together to support and enrich the women’s choral movement.
ANNA Crusis has a strong educational and social mission, performing music from all over the world and addressing issues of peace, justice and equality both on stage and off.[1][2] They have a long history of supporting LGBTQ+ issues, frequently performing with other groups at events such as International Women's Day[3] and Philly Pride.[4]
An amateur community choir, ANNA Crusis places a strong emphasis on musical excellence and inclusiveness, welcoming singers of all ethnicities, cultures, gender identities. The choir welcomes singers with disabilities and traditionally includes a sign language interpreter at its concerts.[5] Although singers must audition, the choir includes singers of all levels of musical training ranging from those who do not read music, to those with professional training.[6]
Catherine Roma was born in Philadelphia and attended Germantown Friends School, a Quaker School. Roma earned degrees in music (BA) and choral conducting (MM) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and became involved in lesbian and feminist politics while studying there.[7] While in Wisconsin she worked with historian Ann D. Gordon to identify music by and about women throughout history, creating the folk opera American Women: A Choral History for the United States Bicentennial.[8] After returning to Philadelphia in 1975 to teach music at Abington Friends School,[7] she formed the Anna Crusis Women's Choir, which performed American Women: A Choral History at a number of colleges throughout the northeast.[9]
By starting Anna Crusis, the first feminist women’s choir in the United States, Cathy Roma became one of the founding mothers of the women's choral movement.[10] Her beliefs in feminism, social justice, and Quaker models of leadership fundamentally shaped the mission and direction of Anna Crusis.[7] Decisions were often made through a process similar to Quaker consensus, in which all members had a voice.[11]
With the departure of Cathy Roma, the future of Anna Crusis became uncertain.[12][13] However, the choir was able to connect with Jane Hulting, originally from Minnesota. A graduate of the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, Hulting moved to Philadelphia in 1983 to attend the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. She became musical director of Anna Crusis in 1984.[14] Under Hulting's direction, the choir's repertoire continued to be innovative, including a wide variety of languages and musical styles.[6]
Jacqueline Coren's first involvement with the Anna Crusis Women's Choir was as a singer. When Jane Hulting went on sabbatical, Jackie stepped in as interim director. When Jane left, Coren auditioned for the choir's board of directors and was eventually selected as the new musical director of the choir. Jacqueline Coren holds both a master's degree in choral conducting from Westminster Choir CollegeinPrinceton, New Jersey and a master's degree in divinity from Quaker Earlham School of Religion. In addition to her work with Anna Crusis, she worked as choral director at the George School, a Quaker school in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and formed the Pendle Hill Chorus. Anna Crusis continued to perform a broad range of music, often reflecting political and social concerns of choir members of the choir who supported Anna Crusis' mission of social change through music. The choir continued to collaborate with other groups, including performing with Holly Near in a People's Music Network concert, participating in GALA's Equality Forum, and singing in a merged chorus with the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus and the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia.[6]
Miriam is a multi-instrumentalist/vocalist, singer-songwriter, author for Alfred Publishing and recording artist, as well as choral director. As a performer she has toured extensively throughout the United States, performing at folk and women’s music festivals, concerts series’, coffee houses, and house concerts. She has garnered many awards from both the Folk and LGBTQ communities and has recorded and co-produced eight CDs, several of which have won national awards. She is a member of the board of directors of GALA Choruses, has been a director of the Festival Choir at the National Women’s Music Festival and at SUUSI (Southeastern Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute). She is Music Director of the Unitarian Congregation of West Chester, and is the director of Makhaelat Michael, the Community Choir at Mishkan Shalom, Philadelphia. She has studied at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and at The Petrie School of Music at Converse College.
Sophia (In memory of Ray Henry), composer Julia Haines, text by Janet Mason, first performed 19 November 1994[24]
My Voice: a work in 3 movements for women's choir and percussion (My Voice, Vines Entwined, Don't Mess with Me), composer Jennifer Higdon, first performed 1995. (3d mvt, "Don't Mess With Me" premiered, whole piece the next June.)
She Sweeps With Many Brooms, composer Lisa Westerterp, text by Emily Dickinson, for women's voices and saxophone quartet, first performed 14 May 2005[27]
The Oldest Feminist Choir (A Quilobet), composer Judith Palmer, text by Jennifer Raison, first performed 14 May 2005. (Many other works by choir member Judith Palmer have been performed by the choir over the years.[6])
Anna Crusis Women's Choir, poster with Pete Seeger and Reggie Harris for January 27, 1995, concert
Anna Crusis sings a variety of concerts throughout the year, often with other organizations. Its main performances are its winter concert, usually held in November or December, and its spring concert, usually held in May or June. Concerts have included:
December 10 & 11th, 2011, "Breaking News: 'Anna'dotes to the Headlines," with guest Sharon Katz.[49]
June 12, 2010, "35 years of singing for social justice," artistic director Jacqueline Coren, with guest conductors Catherine Roma and Jane Hulting.[5][50]
Nov. 14 15, 1998, "Coming into our years – 150 yrs. of feminism in Action", a Musical Celebration of the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY
June 6, 1998, "No one has imagined us", Anna Crusis Women's Choir with Renaissance City Women's Choir (Pittsburgh), ACCO, A Chorus Celebrating Women (Allentown), and Central Pennsylvania Womyn's Chorus (Harrisburg)[54]
Nov. 15, 16, 1997, "When Choirs Sway"
June 7, 1997, "Anna Gumbo"
Nov. 8, 9, 1996, "Mama, I Want to Make Rhythm"
June 8, 1996, "Reach Across the Lines"
Feb. 26, 1996, reception for The Women's Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee and the Five County Democratic Women's Coalition, honoring First Lady Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore
Nov. 10, 11, 1995, "Celebrating 75 yrs of Women’s Suffrage", with Sacred Ways Dance Company
Nov. 9, 1994, "Joyful Recognition of the Feminine in all our lives", performed Sophia by Julia Haine
June 11, 1995, "Women's Voices: Women's Strengths", performed Word of Mouth by Nehassaiu deGannes.[23]
April 1992, "A Harmony of Voices," with guests Karen Saillant and Don Kawash, in partnership with the Bucks County commissioners' Advisory Committee on Women[22]
As of 2009, the Anna Crusis Women's Choir created the Themis Award, named for the Greek goddess of visionary justice, to honor women dedicated to social justice, equality and peace, from the greater Philadelphia area.[2] The following women have been honored:
Doris Polsky and Shirley Melvin (posthumously), 2010, Jewish real estate brokers who worked to ensure that the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia was diverse and racially integrated.[56][5][57]
First United Methodist Church of Germantown (FUMCOG),[58] 2011, a reconciling church, for its commitment to being inclusive, diverse, and activist.[59]
^ abcMarder, Diana (June 10, 2010). "Do Re She: The Anna Crusis Women's Choir is celebrating 35 years of "singing with a purpose."". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
^ abcdMckelvey, Anita (2007). "The Passions of Anna Crusis". Philadelphia Music Makers. 6 (2): 47–49.
^ abcdFollet, Joyce (19–20 June 2005). "Catherine Roma"(PDF). Voices of Feminism Oral History Project. Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
^Henning, Pat (June 1982). "Anna Crusis: Upbeat music with a message". The Mt. Airy Express. Vol. 2, no. 6. East and West Mt. Airy Neighbors Association.
^Escovitz, Karen (November 1994). "New Music Premieres: Anna Crusis performs new work by local composer". Labyrinth: The Philadelphia Women's Newspaper.
^"Anna Crusis celebrates its 25th anniversary". Au Courant. Vol. 4, no. 36. May 30, 2000.
^"Finding Her Here". Independent Music Publishers Cooperative. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
Anna Crusis Women's Choir, I Ain't Afraid, with Holly Near, 2017
