The Pandora Consort Brings Original Folk Opera on Women’s Liberation to Chandler Music Hall
After performing music by Medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen, with Vermont Public Classical in the Fall 2025, the Pandora Consort returns to Vermont to perform their new production of early American music: The Fire Within Her.
The Fire Within Her: An American Folktale About Women’s Liberation is an original folk opera that weaves together the voices of trailblazing women across centuries. From Anne Hutchinson’s defiance in Puritan Boston to Susan B. Anthony’s fight for women’s suffrage to Betty Friedan’s challenge to the “feminine mystique,” their stories unfold through shape-note songs, Shaker hymns, protest anthems, and contemporary folk music. Through resilience, courage, and song, The Fire Within Her ignites the voices of the past to inspire today’s changemakers.
Ensemble Artistic Director and author, Kendra Comstock, noted that in our tumultuous political situation, this production highlights “the life cycle of revolution — how someone might work for change her whole life and never see the results but hand off the torch to the next generation”.
Comstock is a Vermont native and founded the ensemble with colleague Angie Tyler in 2021 in part to bring early music to rural communities and to create innovative performances of early music that highlight historically-marginalized composers and stories. “This production is our own form of protest, hopefully bringing us all closer together, and perhaps inspiring some hope in the process,” said Comstock
This production features the Pandora Consort core membership: Kendra Comstock, Angie Tyler, Gina Marie Falk, as well as guest artists, Laura Thomas and Riley Mullany, voices, violin, guitar, and harmonium
Saturday, September 19th 7pm
Chandler Center for the Arts, 71 N Main St, Randolph, VT
Suggested Donation $25 with no one turned away due to lack of funds
The Pandora Consort website: https://www.thepandoraconsort.com/projects
