The songs they don’t want you to hear.
What they don’t want you to hear. Books are being banned in the US at an unprecedented rate. Seattle Women’s Chorus has commissioned five living female-identified composers to create new music from banned books: “Alice in Wonderland,” “Beloved,” “Heather Has Two Mommies,” “Melissa,” and “This Book is Gay.” Featuring censored songs from the Wizard of Oz, Winnie the Pooh, and The Muppets with integrated video storytelling.
Times and Dates
- Saturday, February 3, 2024 | 1:00pm
- Saturday, February 3, 2024 | 5:00pm (Livestream + On Demand)
Venue
Media Coverage
Seattle Pride, “Banned Books Take Center Stage in Banned & Beloved Concert,” December 1, 2023
425 Magazine.com, “This Week in A&E: Banned & Beloved Concert, Black & Boujee Exhibit, and the Asian Spring Festival,” January 11, 2024
South Sound Magazine, “This Week in A&E: A Literary Concert, Oscar Contenders in Olympia, and Carriesa,” January 11, 2024
Miryam’s Theatre Musings, “Jan + Half Feb Theatre Openings, Check Out the World Premiers!” January 15, 2024
The Seattle Lesbian, “Book Bans Front and Center with New Seattle Women’s Chorus Show,” January 17, 2024
Seattle Gay Scene, “Winter Theater In Seattle Offers Up World Premieres & Beloved Favorites,” January 17, 2024
Queen Anne and Magnolia News, “Seattle Women’s Chorus turning the page on book bans,” January 18, 2024
Seattle Gay Scene, “Seattle Women’s Chorus Tackles Book Bans With “Banned & Beloved” Concert,” January 22, 2024
Broadway World, “Seattle Women’s Chorus Combats Book Bans With Little Free Library and Book Drive,” January 22, 2024
The Seattle Lesbian, “Seattle Women’s Chorus Combats Book Bans with Little Free Library & Book Drive,” January 25, 2024
Seattle Gay News, “Seattle Women’s Chorus combats book bans with Little Free Library, book drive,” January 26, 2024
EverOut Seattle, “The Top 43 Events in Seattle This Week: Jan 29–Feb 4, 2024,” January 29, 2024
Akh99.com, “The Top 43 Events in Seattle This Week: Jan 29–Feb 4, 2024,” January 29, 2024
96.5 Jack FM, “The Seattle Men’s And Women’s Choruses Are Set For Big Shows In February,” January 30, 2024
KUOW FM, “NPR: KUOW-FM (Seattle, WA),” January 30, 2024
Axios, “Seattle events: Lunar New Year, doughnuts and a banned
book concert,” February 1, 2024
Capital Hill Seattle, “Seattle Women’s Chorus celebrates free expression with free books in little libraries, Banned & Beloved concert,” February 2, 2024
Program
View the digital program here.
Repertoire
The Tigger Song (from Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too)
Lyrics and music by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
Used by special permission of © Disney Concerts.
Arranged by Chad Weirick.
Children Will Listen (from Into the Woods)
Lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim.
Arranged by Mark Brymer.
Poison
Lyrics by Lewis Carroll, as spoken by Alice in Alice in Wonderland.
Music by Andrea Ramsey.
Video
If Everybody Minded
Lyrics by Lewis Carroll, as spoken by Duchess in Alice in Wonderland.
Music by Andrea Ramsey.
Heather’s Dream
Incorporating lyrics from Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman.
Used by permission of Curtis Brown, LTD, Copyright © 1989.
Additional lyrics by Ann Hampton Callaway. Music by Ann Hampton Callaway.
Cathleen Read, soloist
Malala
Music and lyrics by Joan Szymko, adapted from quotes by Malala Yousafzai.
Ashley Wheaton, spoken word soloist
The Rainbow Connection (from The Muppet Movie)
Lyrics and music by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher.
Arranged by Audrey Snyder.
United in Purpose
Lyrics from Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou
by Maya Angelou.
Music by Rollo Dilworth.
Video
Who In the World Am I?
Lyrics by Lewis Carroll, as spoken by Alice in Alice in Wonderland.
Music by Andrea Ramsey.
Melissa unSilenced
Lyrics from Melissa by Alex Gino. Copyright © Scholastic Press.
Additional lyrics by Shantel Sellers.
Music by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm.
Emma Yoder, soloist
Wondering
Lyrics from This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson. Copyright © Sourcebooks.
Music by Amy Burgess.
Dodo’s Proclamation
Lyrics by Lewis Carroll, as spoken by Dodo in Alice in Wonderland.
Music by Andrea Ramsey.
It Was You
Lyrics from Beloved by Toni Morrison.
Copyright © Estate of Chloe A. Morrison, 1987.
Reprinted by permission of Estate of Chloe A. Morrison.
Music by Maria Ellis.
Over the Rainbow (from The Wizard of Oz)
Lyrics by Yip Harburg. Music by Harold Arlen.
Arranged by Mark Hayes.
The Little Crocodile
Lyrics by Lewis Carroll, as spoken by Alice in Alice in Wonderland.
Music by Andrea Ramsey.
Video
Long Words
Lyrics by Lewis Carroll, as spoken by Eaglet in Alice in Wonderland.
Music by Andrea Ramsey.
Double, Double Toil and Trouble
Lyrics from Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
Music by Leeann (Ashby) Starkey.
Defying Gravity (from Wicked)
Lyrics and music by Stephen Schwartz.
Arranged by Roger Emerson.
Keyla Hanson, soloist
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Lyrics by James Weldon Johnson. Music by J. Rosamond Johnson.
Arranged by Rollo Dilworth.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Lyrics and music by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
Arranged by Mark Hayes.
Revolution
Lyrics and music by PinkZebra.
