For Anna Vogelzang, the annual Wintersong concert is a labor of love.
A musician herself, Vogelzang organized the first Wintersong concert two years ago. It has since grown into one of the area's biggest folk music events, with all the proceeds going to the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin.
Wintersong celebrates talented local artists and the spirit of collaboration. Artists this year include Vogelzang, Count This Penny, Corey Mathew Hart, Dietrich Gosser, Whitney Mann, Paul Otteson & Faux Fawn and Crane Your Swan Neck.
"For one night, we take a break from our projects, which we've spent all year working so hard on, to join forces with our friends who have been working just as hard and who share a very specific, similar experience," says Vogelzang.
The holiday concert sold out each of its first two years, and last year moved from Gates of Heaven to the Majestic Theatre. This year Wintersong will be at the Barrymore Theatre on Dec. 13.
Vogelzang says the idea for Wintersong came from the now-defunct Project Lodge, a multipurpose DIY space on East Johnson Street where local artists booked and promoted their own shows, thereby developing strong ties with their fans.
"When I decided to put on the first Wintersong, it was with that community intention in mind," says Vogelzang.
The charity event provides the participating artists a chance to thank the public for their continued support of local music and causes. "Each year our feeling of community expands a little bit wider," she says.
The set list will include Christmas carols and other holiday favorites, such as a Gosser and Mann duet for "Baby, It's Cold Outside," as well as some collaborative originals.
"Christmas on the Isthmus" was recently written and recorded by Hart as a way to further help Second Harvest. All proceeds from the song will go to the organization. Vogelzang, Mann and Count This Penny's Amanda Rigell will provide backup doo-wop harmonies for Hart at the Wintersong concert."Wintersong is such a great event, and I really wanted to do something special for it this year," says Hart. "The song has an old-school rhythm and blues vibe that is not what we typically play but a style of music that we all love."
Vogelzang believes in supporting fellow musicians, and that's what she sees happening with the friends she works with on Wintersong.
"The collaboration that happens at Wintersong isn't just for the spectacle of the show or an attempt to sell tickets," she says. "It's to celebrate our awesome and supportive community together, musicians and audience members alike. That is a powerful and reassuring thing.
