The Quire of Eastern Iowa: “Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray" at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- May 30.
Saturday, May 30, 7 p.m.
Coralville Center for the Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
Debuting their new cantata for the first time in Iowa, the vocal talents of the Quire of Eastern Iowa brings Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on May 30, celebrating the pioneering Civil Rights activist, lawyer, poet, and Episcopal priest whose work helped shape modern movements for racial and gender equality.
Born in 1910, Murray challenged segregation and discrimination long before the height of the Civil Rights era, even coining the term “Jane Crow” to describe the dual oppression faced by Black women. Her legal ideas influenced landmark cases including Brown v. Board of Education, and their scholarship later informed arguments used by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in advancing gender equality under the law. Murray was the first African American to earn a Doctor of Juridical Science degree from Yale Law School in 1965. She also graduated first in her class from Howard University Law School in 1944 as the only woman. In addition to her legal achievements, Murray was also a gifted writer and became the first Black woman ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1977, leaving a lasting legacy as a visionary thinker who bridged multiple movements for justice.
The Quire of Eastern Iowa was founded in April of 1995 by a group of 14 singers led by Reverend Rick Yramategui. The group’s first public performance was on June 18, 1995, at the annual Iowa City Pride Talent Show. The event was held at (now closed) Clapp Recital Hall on the campus of the University of Iowa. One of the pieces performed, Words Like Freedom, has become a signature piece for the Quire in the ensuing years. The Quire’s membership has grown over the years, and has garnered recognition for excellence and variety in their performances. As a non-auditioned community choir, the Quire aims to be a space for those with a flair for making music and those who may not be as sure of their talents, as music is a space for all to enjoy.
Currently, the Quire has between 30 and 50 active Members during a season, and is led by an Artistic & Choral Director, with the additional support of an Assistant Director and Primary Accompanist. With rehearsals once a week at Zion Lutheran Church, which has generously hosted the Quire for a number of years, the Quire prepares for two mainstage concerts – one in December and one in May/June – which are performed both in Iowa City and, more recently, Cedar Rapids. In addition, the Quire has a primary fundraiser concert in February, and throughout the year upon request.
The Quire of Eastern Iowa performs Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on May 30, admission to the 7 p.m. performance is $5-50, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9372 and visiting CoralvilleArts.org. For more information on the Quire of Eastern Iowa, visit TheQuire.org.
