What does Soromundi do when we can’t rehearse together? Can’t perform? Can’t enjoy the community that singing with Soromundi provides? Well… we make the best of it! We wrap our arms around each other, keep working, and support the larger communities of Eugene and Springfield. Here’s a few of the highlights from an incredibly difficult year.
We couldn't know it at the time, but our Winter Concert at the Shedd Theatre in February 2020 would be Soromundi's last performance for the 19-20 year.
By late spring we had created other virtual opportunities for Soromundi sisters to congregate. The Soromundi Book Club read three books and the Soromundi Campfire Chats were full of laughterand fun as veteran members told tales of the years gone by.
By fall, many Mundis were ready to sing as a way to stay focussed and positive, even if it happened over Zoom. Led by Musical Director Lisa Hellemn and Assistant Musical Director Lynn Smith, the participating Mundis worked on music from the previous season and learned new songs, knowing a concert season would be on the horizon eventually.
The show must go on! The Soromundi tradition of the Tiny Talent Show, where Mundis perform for Mundis, continued virtually. Mundis played and sang, demonstrated "Chainsaw Tai Chi," satirized favorite tunes, reflected on the unbelievable 2020 year, and had a great time sharing with each other deep into the pandemic.
With the arrival of a vaccine came an opportunity at the beginning of summer: to sing the National Anthem at the Emerald's Pride game. As our mission is to "create a visible expression of lesbian pride," we were honored to participate, and appreciated the Ems, who all wore Pride-themed jerseys, including the mascot!
2021 saw the revival of Eugene Pride, and Soromundi proudly acted as an event sponsor and staffed a booth. We met many women who hope to join the group in the future and even more Soromundi fans looking forward to future performances!