January 11th, 2012
The new year brings new adventures for the ladies and gents of SITA. We are so grateful for those of you who have listened and supported our music, and we hope we stay in touch with you as we all move on to new opportunities and ideas. Thank you, for all of your love and support.

Keep an eye out around Chicago for Annie's new performing endeavor called "Weatherman." She will also be starting a new Chicago composer interview series, called "Drinks with Weatherman."
Katie and Lindsay are off to begin a new adventure working on a CSA farm in Wisconsin, this March! Keep an eye out for those two at your local farmers market.

Piano and Drums Debut, 8/15/11 @ Schuba's 8pm.
SITA's looking forward to supporting a fantastic female UK duo called "Smoke Fairies" over at Schuba's on Monday, 8/15/11. Two from the band will be on stage, presenting SITA songs in a whole new way, and maybe throwing in a new tune. Tickets available online in advance for $10 at Schuba's website. $12 at the door.

Lots a-happenin in April!!!!!

April 3rd, stream http://ryebreadradio.com @4pm to hear the girls play some new tunes and answer questions in their usual uncomfortable manner.

April 9th, Annie will join Daniel Knox to play some tunes solo for a fundraiser to help raise money for a fantastic Chicago dance company called SPACE/MOVEMENT. 7pm, $35
More info/tkts at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/165977

April 17th, SITA will be recording at Coach House Sounds and is super excited to be part of such a cool project and added to such a great roster of local musicians.

Thursday, April 21st, show with Can.Ky.Ree and Rita Braga at Reversible Eye Gallery, in Humboldt Park. We love playing there and with Tom Musick and his fellas.

The ladies and gent are thrilled to announce a show on Friday, November 12th, at The Viaduct Theatre located at 3111 N. Western Ave.
Show starts at 10pm, and is $7.
Also sharing the stage is the band Panoramic and True. Should be some good performances.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES FEATURE!!!
We were featured on the cover page for the "Sunday" section on July 4th, 2010. A fantastic 2 page article written by the lovely Mary Houlihan and some amazing pictures by Sun-Times photographer, John Kim. They gave us the cover page, with a picture that almost took up the entire page. How often does that happen to the little locals? Many many MANY thanks, Sun-Times.

Put news here...4 STAR RECORD REVIEW IN TIME OUT CHICAGO!!!!!
Areif Sless-Kitain just about floored us with his review of our debut album. We are humbled and grateful that he understands what we tried to accomplish with Wake Up, Sardis! Take a look at what he wrote:

Album review
Singing in the Abbey
By Areif Sless-Kitain
Wake Up, Sardis! (self-released)

It's not uncommon for pop outfits to dabble in chamber orchestration, adding a dab of strings here, a touch of woodwinds there. Chicago's Singing in the Abbey comes at it from the opposite angle. The band's not quite orch pop but rather a nuanced quartet shedding its classical background and calling on folk tradition and theatrical music. Piano, violin, cello and upright bass (hold the guitars) drape around simmering and often soulful soliloquies.
The female foursome's new full-length, Wake Up, Sardis!, works the senses like a slow-motion montage. The ghostly processional "Weak/Numb" moves with elegance, while the enchanting waltz "On this Day" swells and settles with Annie Higgins"s comforting voice, delicately trailed by cello and violin.
As the Hamlet -inspired ballad "The Sweetness of Ophelia" suggests, the album is both thoughtful and heart-wrenchingly earnest. Any licensing agent with half a brain would pillage the entire disc; this is ripe soundtrack fodder. But that's almost too obvious. There's something gloriously mischievous and unique in SITA's heart-on-sleeve approach. For once, the orchestral accoutrements get to shine instead of sitting on the sidelines.

Read more: Timeout Article

TOM LYNCH/NEWCITY RECOMMENDED SHOW ON 5/27/10!!!
Tom Lynch melted our little hearts, once again, with this rich and very gracious write-up for our Hideout Show on 5/27/10:

RECOMMENDED
Singing in the Abbey, the Chicago chamber-rock group led by vocalist and pianist Annie Higgins, succeeds at the complex and tricky blend of classical music and pop while draping a gothic vale over its sound. "Wake Up, Sardis!" is the band's debut record, released back in February, and it lives and breathes on Higgins' deep, haunting voice and swift piano-playing. The band sells itself as a Thom Yorke/Julie Andrews hybrid, and as odd as that sounds, it's pretty accurate. The string arrangements dreamily complement Higgins' songs, and one of the best of which, "The Sweetness of Ophelia," will break you in two with its sweeping grace. While classical piano, string sections and gothic shading may indicate a big production, Higgins and her team manage to keep Singing in the Abbey rather minimalist, simple in a good way, which is no small feat considering all the moving parts. This is music for those who dream under overcast skies. (Tom Lynch)
May 27 at Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia, (773)227-4433, 9pm. $8.

PIONEER PRESS, PRESS!

The incredibly eloquent and articulate JT Morand of Pioneer Press wrote an amazing piece on Singing in the Abbey (full page spread on February 25th), with the headline "Singing in the Abbey are genre-benders." Mr. Morand likens Annie to Julie Andrews (does it get any better?) and does a fantastic job describing our sound.."But make no mistake..Singing in the Abbey is not inspiring women and children to dance through meadows and sing on mountain tops. Instead, their moody, genre-eluding songs on their first album 'Wake Up, Sardis!' are intended to make listeners look inside themselves and challenge what's wrong with society." Thanks, JT.

Read the full article online at: Pioneer Local

CULTURAL CENTER SHOW INFO....MARCH 11th, 2010

We will indeed have The Great Brandini gracing the stage with his magnificent trumpet for our upcoming gig at The Cultural Center, as well as the most amazing Jason Toth (The Handsome Family, Daniel Knox) adding some of his signature beats. The show starts at 6:30pm, and we will play a 45 minute set--playing through our debut album; Wake Up, Sardis!. Brandini will play a featured trumpet song, and then we will play a second 45 minute set with all of our new material...and did we mention it's free?? Sponsored by the City of Chicago (thank you, Mr. Mayor).

For more detailed information, here's the link: Explore Chicago

We hope to see you there!!!!

NEWCITY ARTICLE!

Check out the February 9th issue of Newcity to read our latest and most thoughtful review! Not only did Tom Lynch do a beautiful job describing our debut album, "Wake Up, Sardis!", he also managed to come up with a beautiful way to describe our sound... "soundtrack to shadows in an old castle." We love it.

Thank you Tom Lynch!

New City

FREE SHOW AT THE CULTURAL CENTER

The ladies of SITA are overjoyed to announce that they will be playing a show in the glorious Preston Bradley Hall, in The Cultural Center on March 11th at 6:30pm! Two 45 minute sets will be played under the largest tiffany dome in the world! 'Tis a bit of a dream, really... won't you join us?

p.s. We think "The Great Brandini" may be joining us on trumpet for this one - hooray!

JANUARY CONCERTS TO "SHAKE OFF THE WINTER CHILL"

One of our favorite music reviewers, Matt Pais, selected our cd release show (Jan.14th@ the Hideout), as one of the top "January Concerts to Shake Off the Winter Chill." He printed a fancy picture of us and wrote "Chicago symphonic outfit releases haunting debut, "Wake Up, Sardis!" Dress warm; you're going to get the chills."

TRIBUNE ARTICLE!

SITA was featured in the February 5th edition of The Chicago Tribune in the "On the Town" section! In the article, "With a Little Help from a Band, Higgins Voice is Magnified," you can read about our beginnings as a group, as well as where some of the inspiration for our pieces comes from (I say "some" because much more influences the music than can possibly be discussed in an article). Thank you, Tribune!