Social Justice Choir Of Southeastern Massachusetts To Present FALL FESTIVAL in November

The Social Justice Choir of Southeastern Massachusetts (SJCSM) will present its annual Fall Festival, a weekend celebration of music, community, and service, culminating in a free public concert on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in Bridgewater State University’s Horace Mann Auditorium.

The Festival welcomes both experienced and novice singers to join combined ensembles of Bridgewater State University (BSU), the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD), and community participants. Singer rehearsals will take place Saturday, November 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 9 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Founded in 2022 and led by husband-and-wife directors Dr. Ronald Sherwin (UMD) and Dr. Sarah McQuarrie (BSU), the choir explores music as a vehicle for positive change, programming works by underrepresented composers and pairing each season with a community service project. “Singing may not change everything, but it lifts us up and helps us take action,” said McQuarrie. “Singing is the antidote to apathy, and refuge in a chaotic world.”

This fall’s program will feature Elaine Hagenberg’s Refuge, the protest anthem We Shall Not Be Moved, “Nia” from Nguzo Saba’s Suite op. 41, no. 5, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow’s Sing, which will include youth singers in a tribute to resilience and unity. Audiences can also expect a lively rendition of the Doobie Brothers’ 1970s hit Listen to the Music.

Alongside the concert, SJCSM will launch two community initiatives. Shelf-stable food donations will be collected for the BSU and UMD food banks, while the “Warmth in Cold Places” project, in partnership with Bridgewater’s First Congregational Church UCC, will collect coats and cold-weather clothing for those in need. Donations can be brought to the performance or dropped at Hunt Hall, Room 115, in Bridgewater.

Singers of all ages and experience levels may register at tinyurl.com/bdzz77hj. Rehearsals are held on Thursdays at BSU’s Rondileau Student Union and Saturdays at UMD’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts. Participation in the Festival is free, and admission to the November 9 performance is also free, with donations welcome to support the choir’s mission.

Free parking is available in the Boyden Hall lot, with additional paid parking in the Spring Street lot and the Commuter Garage, including ADA-compliant spaces. The Horace Mann Auditorium is fully accessible.