Fiery Hope and Malgorzata Lach join forces April 11 at All Souls Church
Voices will soar and fingers will fly at Greenfield’s All Souls Church at 7:30 pm on Saturday, April 11 when Fiery Hope appears in concert with the eclectic artist Malgorzata Lach. Fiery Hope will present new original choral works as well as time-honored fan favorites in languages including Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, and Kalanga (from Zimbabwe). Lach will do delightful triple duty: as a solo classical guitarist, as part of a folk-indy duo with Fiery Hope's director Eveline MacDougall, and in collaboration with the chorus. High-octane selections will raise the roof, and we’ve chosen other material to soothe souls and inspire hearts in this challenging era. People of all ages and from all walks of life are welcome to join us for a truly community-based evening.
Lach studied classical guitar at Mount Holyoke College, where she now teaches, and earned her Master’s at the Hartt School of Music. A person of wide musical tastes, Lach has performed with many bands, including rock, reggae, grunge, and blues. While apprenticing with the renowned luthier Alan Chapman, she built her own classical guitar and now builds and refinishes guitars for her devoted customers.
Lach’s rich contralto is featured in the duo she recently formed with MacDougall, who also sings and plays fiddle, viola, and accordion. Drawing on each of their mother tongues, they named their duo “Deux Panie” (deuh pan-yeh): French for “two” followed by Polish for “women.” They perform material by Tracy Chapman, the Beatles, Indigo Girls, Manuel de Falla, Brandi Carlile, Simon & Garfunkel, Shawn Colvin, Randy Newman, and others. Deux Panie also performs fiddle tunes composed by MacDougall, as well as traditional gems from her family’s native Quebec. Their repertoire is rounded out by tunes from Finnish, Scottish, Swedish, French, Irish, and old-time American traditions.
Partial proceeds from the concert will support Stone Soup Cafe community meal program. There’s no specified admission fee; attendees are welcome to donate what they can, and no one will be turned away. All Souls Church is located at 399 Main Street in Greenfield, across from the public library.
An evolution of the Amandla Chorus
We are committed to acting with determination and hope-filled hearts during this era of increasing injustice and environmental crisis. For this reason, we’ve decided to change our name to Fiery Hope.
Founded in 1988, our chorus is based in Greenfield, Massachusetts and made up of singers from all over the Pioneer Valley. The name Amandla, suggested by a South African member, comes from the Zulu word for “power.” We continue to celebrate the power of community.
Every season, we present new works in addition to gems from our vast repertoire and work with guest artists to round out our mission of singing world music while remaining deeply rooted in our community.
We sing for justice, freedom, and peace—songs new and old, some from around the world and others written right here. In performance, we wear sashes made of cloth from many lands to remind each other that we belong to a global family.
Singing Serenades!
Our singing work continues despite changes to our world. We’ve launched a new project, “Soulful Serenades,” which enables us to bring music to people in safe groupings.
A poignantly beautiful serenade recently took place for a 68-year-old man with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. He and his wife of 50 years sat on their deck, soaking up our loving sounds. They said they felt deeply comforted by our visit at a time when family members could not travel from across the country to see them.
If you’d like to request a Serenade, call Eveline at 413-773-8655 or email eveline@amandlachorus.org
If you’re able to lend support as we continue our work, we appreciate any and all donations. Even a very small gift can help. Checks may be made out to “Amandla, Inc.” and sent to P.O. Box 223, Greenfield, MA 01302
PLEASE NOTE: Eveline MacDougall, founder and director of Fiery Hope / Amandla, is out with her first book, published by Haley’s. You may order Fiery Hope: Building Community with the Amandla Chorus by visiting FieryHopeBooks.com
The Amandla Chorus performs ''Ode to Joy''
Amandla Chorus Director Eveline MacDougall shares stoires about Pete Seeger with Rus Peotter. Eveline, Doug Reid, and the Amandla Chorus perform "Ode to Joy" with special lyrics by Seeger and a member of the chorus.
WGBY's Tribute to Pete Seeger recorded April 23, 2014 and aired March 4, 2014
Amandla Chorus sings ''Malala''
The Amandla Chorus sings an original song by Eveline MacDougall, "Malala," in tribute to Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Recorded in concert at the Edwards Church, Northampton, Massachusetts, April 30, 2016.
Stay In Touch
To learn more about Fiery Hope contact our director, Eveline MacDougall, at 413-773-8655 or eveline@amandlachorus.org
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