Indianapolis Women's Chorus

About the IWC

Who We Are

IWC History

IndyChoruses Mission Statement | IWC Statement of Purpose

Now in her ninth season with the Indianapolis Women's Chorus, Music Director Pamela Blevins Hinkle says,

"Music making at its finest is about making a series of connections simultaneously…connections between the listener and the ensemble, connections between the conductor and choir, connections between the singer and songwriter, and connections between the heart and the lyrics. All these connections are essential for music to have true soul and transformative power. And this is, of course, our goal: to transform the world through the magic of music."

Pam has been conducting choral ensembles for over 13 years. She was Music Director of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis where she founded the Heartland District Choir Festival for UU singers in the Midwest. Since 1998, she has led the choir at the annual Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She also served as Music Director for the Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and as choral director of the Franklin College (Indiana) Singers.

Pam was awarded a 2003 Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis through which she has explored chant and ritual song from diverse traditions as well as improvisation and drumming. She is enrolled in the Musicianship and Leadership Certification of Program of Music for People, which teaches free improvisation. In 2005, she was awarded an Indiana Arts Commission Studio Saturday Award from the Mary Anderson Center for the Arts.

In addition to her duties with the IWC, Pam is on the board of Susurrus (an interdisciplinary movement troupe) and serves as Director of the Spirit & Place Festival.

Accompanist Dianna Davis is a freelance musician performing and teaching piano, clarinet, flute and voice in Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally from Lebanon, Illinois, Dianna has been playing for choirs since she was 13, including being a regular accompanist, subbing for choir groups, and accompanying individual musicians. She has worked with church and school choirs, bands, orchestras, and small ensembles.

Dianna's music education began at Millikin University, where she received a Bachelor of Music in both piano and clarinet performance. During her undergraduate studies, Dianna was honored to be the first student to win Millikin's concerto and aria competition on two instruments in one year.

Earning a Master of Music Performance from Indiana University has enabled Dianna to keep a full schedule of private music lessons. In addition to teaching, Dianna is so a pianist for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, and began accompanying their choir this year. This is her first year playing for the Indianapolis Women's Chorus and Sapphonia.

ASL Interpreter Jayne Kercheval began her signing career in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Since that time, she has become a certified American Sign Language interpreter, as well as an ASL instructor.

Her interpreting in the women's community began in 1982 when she saw Nan Brooks perform poetry on the Indiana University campus. Jayne asked how she might get copies of the poems and before she knew it, she was interpreting Brooks' performance at a National Organization for Women convention several months later. After that she interpreted for the National Women's Music Festival, both Showcase and Mainstage, and numerous workshops. She has also interpreted for Indianapolis performances of of Linda Tillery, Cris Williamson, Suede, Zrazy, and Suzanne Westenhoffer.

IWC Executive Committee

Edith Millikan, President
Casey Pilkington, Vice President
Reba Baker, Treasurer
Jennifer Schick, Secretary
Kim Allman, Administrative Assistant

Committee Chairs

Pam Blevins Hinkle, Music
Pam Blevins Hinkle, Artistic
Anne aMurphy, Social
Marty Miles, Social
Stephanie Lewis Robertson, Visuals
Kathlene McNaney, Technical
Nan Brooks, Program Notes
Kathy Gits, Costumes
Tarsie Franklin, Newsletter Editor
Lia Treffman, Music Librarian
Susan Burt, Social

Volunteers

Stage Managers:
Roberta Denton
Misti Lehman
Stage Hands:
Pam Mueller
Cara Putt
Ushers:
Tracy Smith (Head)
Jacob Burt
Leita Burt
Nita Koehl
Randa Mason
Pat Pontis
Ticket Sales:
Jayne Kercheval

Sapphonia

Donna Aragon
Tarsie Franklin
Kassie George
Kathy Gits
Joanna Grandel
Kathlene McNaney
Marty Miles
Jill Moore
Casey Pilkington
Stephanie Lewis Robertson
Chris Stanton
Lia Treffman

Indianapolis Women's Chorus Singers

First Soprano

Donna Aragon
Leslie Davis
Tarsie Franklin (Leader)
Annie Hernandez Varbanov
Becky Kincaid (Manager)
Sue Robinson
Rebecca Russell
Tracy Smith
Lia Treffman

First Alto

Dawn Baptist (Manager)
Harriet Clare
Mia Dionisio
Deb Edgecombe
Amy Fry-Clevenger
Caran Keller
Stephanie Lewis Robertson
Casey Pilkington
Julie Port
Dona Robinson
Lori Soule
Chris Stanton (Leader)
Paula Wheeldon

Second Soprano

Kim Allman
Susan Burt
Tricia Clark
Pamela Dunlap
Kelly Graham-MacDonald
Doreen Lowery
Lucy McCoskey (Manager)
Shannon McGuire
Kathlene McNaney (Leader)
Edith Millikan
Jill Moore
Anne Murphy
Marlie Pedke (Leader)
Colleen O'Connor
Jennier Schick
Carrie Shambarger
Christy Stossmeister
Lori Swan

Second Alto

Reba Baker
Nan Brooks
Amanda Elsner
Kassie George
Kathy Gits (Manager)
Joanna Grandel (Leader)
Jayne Kercheval
Linda Pratt
Janet McCabe
Marty Miles
Pam Mueller
Judy Wolf

IWC History

It was early spring, 1994. Grotesque, yet strangely melodious sounds rose from the basement of North Meridian United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. Fledgling director Nancy Hayden was leading the fledgling Indianapolis Women's Chorus through some vocal warm-ups. She made them sigh loudly, sing belly laughs and make various mouth shapes and tongue-flapping sounds that would have gotten you sent away from the dinner table when you were a kid. This, and other hard work, led to the chorus' first public performance, wearing matching teal T-shirts and singing many matching notes, on June 4, 1994, at the National Women's Music Festival. Applause was supportive.

By the December concert that year, the chorus' vocal skills had sharpened considerably, as had its attire. At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, members sang a full program of winter songs ranging from early American to the Far East.

The nature of the applause changed from, "Oh, let's clap; the poor things are trying so hard," to "Wow, they're good!" And so they grew, season by season.

I'm not allowed to tell you here all the good gossip I've picked up during my years as the chorus archivist. I can't mention the people who joined the chorus because certain other people sang in it - or the ones who quit for the same reason. Or who broke up with what long-term partner to start dating some other singer. Or even the dish about the Incredible Era of Multiple Directors (although it would make an, uhm, interesting major motion picture).

I'll spare you a description of the chorus' first outfits, including a purple "Italian restaurant waiter's" vest.

Instead I'll point out that through three Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) Festivals, starting in July 1996, the demeanor of the chorus as it walked onto the stage has altered dramatically, as has the quality and variety of its music. Witness the singers' nervous do-or-die march onto the stage in 1996 and their "possum caught in the headlights" stare out into the enormous auditorium in Tampa. Now, watch them stride briskly and purposefully onto the stage in 2000 in San Jose. And finally, in 2002, they exude a cockiness that's well-nigh unbearable. They manage to combine a saunter, a strut and a purposeful stride. With the precision of the Rockettes, they pivot and nail the Cincinnati audience with a "Resistance is futile!" challenging stare. The audience swoons. And that's before they even start to sing.

Through the years, the chorus has done sweet songs, silly songs, sexy songs. The singers have performed fugues with no melody, melodies with no words, symphonies of chicken clucks and some torch songs that would melt your shoes. They've sung in French, Hebrew, Latin, Latvian, medieval Germanic Latin, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Welsh - and English. They've done tunes sung in 12th-century abbeys and by Elvis, music originating from Tibetan monasteries to Queen, Balkan mountainsides to Broadway, Australia's Aborigines to Indiana's Cole Porter. They've even learned that staging is not a bad thing, and that movement and song can occur at the same spot on the time-space continuum.

The chorus has performed at the Indiana Women's Prison, Greater Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church, Madame (C.J.) Walker Theatre, the National Women's Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and barefoot (with many singers' toenails oh-so decoratively painted in rainbow colors) on the courts at the RCA Tennis Championships. In June 2003, it was one of three choral groups to perform at the first all-choral Mainstage at the National Women's Music Festival. And now, via the magic of technology, the women are performing for the world - or at least for that part with access to CD players.

- Becky Thacker, IWC Archivist

IndyChoruses Mission

IndyChoruses
builds bridges of understanding,
promotes acceptance of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered community,
and creates unity through musical excellence.

IWC Statement of Purpose

The Indianapolis Women's Chorus uses song and harmony to enable each woman to grow personally, musically, and within her community. By listening, we learn to blend; by celebrating the uniqueness of each voice, we create a plural voice of amazing sound. With this, IWC seeks common musical experiences with women of all races, faiths, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender expressions.

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