These voices carry

The ladies of Voices Rising, Boston's new women's chorus, bandy about the word "spirit" a lot in a 15-minute chat. Julia Keller of Jamaica Plain mentions how the chorus "brings joy to the women's spirit," and Jennifer Wry of Roslindale calls it "an outlet for keeping our spirit up."

Not that you'd need such descriptors to understand what they're talking about -- the group's inaugural performance this past Sunday at Longy School of Music was proof enough. The nearly 30 Boston-area women who comprise the chorus shared the bill with Another Octave, a Connecticut women's chorus, and their enthusiasm was infectious. On "Down by the Riverside," the women nearly rattled the rafters with a thunderous refrain of "I ain't gonna study war no more."

For such a young organization, the half-full venue was impressive. Word of mouth and a concert at Boston's recent Pride events have heightened the chorus's profile in the gay community, but chorus members are quick to note that Voices Rising isn't an exclusively lesbian chorus, but rather a "lesbian-focused chorus."

Either way, it's in good company. Voices Rising joins the ranks of another local singing group, Boston Women's Rainbow Chorus, and every New England state has a gay men's chorus. Still, the notion of a women's chorus may sound novel to some, says Leora Zimmer, Voices Rising's artistic director and the assistant director of Another Octave.

"There's not as strong a tradition of women singing together as there is with men," she says. "It's an idea that goes back to men's glee clubs."

Zimmer says the group places a premium on interpreting female composers and writers, which is why it performs selections such as Marjan Helms's "Rainsong" and an adaptation of a trio of Emily Dickinson poems.

Although the singers are mostly nonprofessionals, Voices Rising is an auditioned choir, Zimmer notes, even though she hasn't turned down anyone yet. Voices Rising's upcoming performance is with Another Octave at the GALA (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses) conference July 17-24 in Montreal. Their next local performance is July 27 at Old South Church in Boston. For more details, visit www.voicesrising.org. E-mail James Reed at jreed@globe.com.