What to do when you feel there’s nothing you can do?
Make community by singing.
I’m participating in a community sing on Wednesday, November 6, the night after the election. We’ll be singing:
Songs of hope,
songs of care for one another,
songs of strength and resilience
and songs of healing.
I hope you can sing with your community soon too!
…oh, and don’t forget to vote! (Not sure where to vote? Visit this link to find your polling place.)
Border CrosSing has published my cantata “To Know the Path,” and it is now available for purchase on Graphite! Weaving ancient texts with new poems by Athena Kildegaard, “To Know the Path” is a cantata in 8 movements following the canonical prayer hours of the day. The journey follows the path of the sun throughout the day from dark to light and back to dark, away from home and towards home.
Thank you to my co-commissioners Amherst College Chorale Society, Arianne Abela, director; Border CrosSing and the Unity Singers, Ahmed Anzaldúa, director; and Central Presbyterian Church Choir, Jennifer Anderson, director.
“To Know the Path” is structured on the canonical hours of the day that stem from ancient Jewish prayer traditions. Early Christians continued the practice and monasteries formally structured them into eight separate hours. Each movement follows the path of the sun throughout the day, starting before dawn when it is still dark (Matins), and progressing to after it has set and is dark again (Compline).
Musically, I have been influenced by ancient chants from many different sources including Georgian Orthodox, Gregorian chant, Greek Orthodox, and Kabbalist Jewish prayers. I see these all as a call for communal prayer and devotion, a way to connect with each other.
Silence is a key part of this work and is built into each movement to create some meditative space for the musicians and listeners. This cantata uses prayer as a metaphor for opening our eyes (awareness) to knowing the path, and our willingness to get on the path with each other (compassion).
Like Medieval religious followers, we must imagine ourselves into the shoes of the migrants and refugees around the world. These words are my prayer for understanding and welcome and for the dignity we all deserve.
– Athena Kildegaard
“Linda’s music is both profound and immediately accessible. I am inspired by her search for deeper meaning and relevance in everything she does.”
— Ahmed Fernando Anzaldúa
These past months have been filled with nature, quality time with family and friends, and COMPOSING! In the coming year, you’ll get to hear the fruits of my labor given voice through:
Seattle Bach Choir (WA), Daniel A. Mahraun, director. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the choir with a new setting of the ‘Credo’ with a text by Martin Luther for SATB and organ accompaniment.
Women’s Voices Chorus (NC), Laura Justus Sam, director. Commissioned to be part of their spring concert theme of ‘home and away’ this piece promises to spark joy and challenge this amazing community of singers.
Red Wing High School Choir (MN), Scott Perau, director. A new a cappella piece for graduation with lyrics based on input directly from choir students.
Commissions are how composers like me make their living, and I’m grateful for the artistic leadership of each of these ensembles for engaging me in this way. If you’re interested in commissioning me to write a piece tailor-made for your ensemble, please reach out!
I’m excited to hear the premiere of my piece A Mighty Strength based on a text by St. Brigid of Gael sung by Angelus at Augustana, directed by Natalie Campbell. Learn more here, and I look forward to publishing this piece to make it available to all!
I will be participating in the virtual ‘Inspired Choir Summer Summit’ along with many fellow composers July 24-26, and I hope that many of you can join me! This is a summit where you can learn from choral composers as they share their repertoire, inspirations, stories, and lessons. Learn more and reserve your free spot here.
On May 23, 2023, I will be releasing my first album and features all original songs that I’ve written over the years through commissions, my incredible experience as a part of the Nautilus Composer-Librettist workshop, and making music with dear colleagues. It started as a recording project during the height of the pandemic, when I saw many singers suddenly and devastatingly out of work. Choirs weren’t meeting. Concerts weren’t happening. Though I had the good fortune to be gainfully employed through my church, I still took a hit as my music sales, concerts, and premieres all dried up as well. Through help from grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and Ramsey County, I had the means to record many of my solo compositions that had been previously unrecorded.
This collection of songs is eclectic, and a good introduction to my range as a composer. Traditional art song (written to be sung in recital, typically with piano accompaniment and often set to a poem) is well represented, but I have also included pieces that would be comfortable in a jazz club, theater, or on stage. Most of the lyricists/poets have Minnesota connections, and I have been honored to have collaborated with many of them. There is a wealth of talent here in the Twin Cities, and I sought out the best and the brightest to make my music shine.
Poets and Lyricists
Athena Kildegaard and the recently departed Louis Jenkins each have a song cycle highlighted on the album. The five writers that participated in the Composer-Librettist studio with Linda, Alan Berks, Jeremiah Gamble, Alayna Jacqueline, Katie Ka Vang, and Kathleen Tucker are also represented along with Arthur Upson, Marjorie Pickthall, and Lola Ridge.
Singers and Collaborative Pianists
Laurel Armstrong, Gary Briggle, Corissa Bussian, Daniel Greco, Roy Heilman, Georgia Jacobson, Maria Jette, Linh Kauffman, Clara Osowski, and KrisAnne Weiss, singers. Jill Dawe, Mary Jo Gothmann, Kathy Kraulik, Carson Rose Schneider, and Sonja Thompson, collaborative pianists.
Join me in celebrating on May 23rd! Click HERE to reserve your spot and HERE to RSVP via Facebook.
I’m looking forward to showcasing my work alongside my colleague Catherine Dalton at the national ACDA conference in Cincinnati. If you plan to attend the conference, I would love to see you there!
A bit about the showcase:
Are lyrics at the heart of your programming? Listen, read along, and discover insights that will fuel your upcoming music selections. Join us as we provide a glimpse into how we source and set meaningful texts in our distinctive compositions as you find new ways to engage your choirs and audiences! You will receive a QR code with access to all the scores and recordings in the session.
Wed, Feb 22, 4pm
Duke Energy Convention Center, Rooms 260-262
Learn more here.
You know what’s great? Working with amazing colleagues like Beth Egger and fantastic choirs like Angelica Cantanti. I had a wonderful night workshopping my piece I Am Becoming as the choir prepared for their upcoming ACDA performance. The focus, fun, and connection to the song was so moving.
The Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs is an award winning Twin Cities’ children’s choir program dedicated to providing high quality choral music education with excellence in performance. ACYC’s conductors are professional music educators and artists who nurture and challenge the 275 boy and girl singers in grades K – 12. Young singers come from across the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area to weekly rehearsals at the Bloomington Center for the Arts.
Join my colleagues Karen Marrolli, J. David Moore, and I for a virtual happy hour reading session of New Music for Church Choirs on Thursday, August 11th from 4-5pm CT!
Register for free by scanning the QR code above or by clicking HERE.
During the session, we’ll each share a variety of accessible pieces for choirs of all abilities, and we’re hopeful that you’ll leave with some great ideas for your fall through Epiphany programming. Follow along with scores, hear from the creators, and get some insight into how each piece could work for you and your ensembles.
SPECIAL OFFER: Attendees of our session will receive 15% off your next order from each of our marketplaces! Bring some new life to your library.
We hope you can join us!
Linda Kachelmeier (b. 1965, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) is a composer, conductor, and professional singer with a special passion for choral music and art song for their capacity for conveying emotion through the human voice. Her music has been described as having “luscious counterpoint, deliberate dissonances, and assertive vocal interaction.” She has received numerous grants and commissions and in 2017 she was awarded the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Composition. Linda’s music has been performed by professional ensembles such as Cantus and The Rose Ensemble, as well as many school and church choirs across the United States and Europe. She is the founder and artistic director of the women’s vocal quartet LUMINA. Since 1991 she has been the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul. Her vast experience as a singer and conductor has helped make her a uniquely sensitive and gifted composer when writing for the voice, from children’s choirs to professional singers and all levels in between.
Karen Marrolli is the Director of Music Ministries at Central United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, NM. She has previously served as Director of Music Ministries at Trussville First United Methodist Church in Trussville, AL, as Director of Choral Ministries at the United Church of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, NM, and as the Artistic Director of the Zia Singers, the Cantu Spiritus Chamber Choir, and the Santa Fe Men’s Camerata. Marrolli holds the DMA degree in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University (2010), where she studied Choral Conducting with Dr. Kenneth Fulton. She earned her BM in Music Theory and Composition (1997) and her MM in Choral Conducting and Sacred Music (2000) from Westminster Choir College before relocating to Charleston, SC, where she lived for seven years prior to pursuing doctoral studies. While in Charleston, she founded Lux Aeterna, a chamber choir who presented candlelight concerts in honor of such events as World AIDS Day, the September 11th attacks, and Child Abuse Awareness Month. These concerts always consisted of readings, often written by survivors of traumatic events, interspersed with choral music. The concerts progressed from a sense of darkness to light and were meant to give hope to those who were in a process of healing.
In addition to being a classically-trained composer and conductor, Karen is a prolific singer-songwriter who can be seen performing her own songs at various events in and around Albuquerque. Called “provocative” and “powerful” by listeners, her songwriting is autobiographical and stems from influences that range from piano-driven singer-songwriters such as Tori Amos and Regina Spektor to the acoustic folk sounds of Americana and Irish Traditional Music.
Karen’s choral music is published independently as well as through the ECS Publishing Group.
J. David Moore is a composer, arranger, conductor, teacher, and Southerner who has lived in the Upper Midwest for most of his life. His music has been called “endlessly inventive,” “glorious…haunting… breathtaking,” and “joyous…wild and elemental.” He publishes through his company Fresh Ayre Music, and is the founder and conductor of The First Readings Project, a chamber choir that acts as a resource for composers in the development and promotion of new work.
He lives with his beautiful wife Anna in Minneapolis, where he bakes bread, drinks tea, and is distracted by shiny objects.
Last spring, I was commissioned by the choir at Parkview United Church of Christ, and this month they enthusiastically premiered my new piece When We Sing. I was enamored by the respect and sense of community there, and was impressed that this small church makes music a priority and fosters new work. This experience gave me a chance to reflect on how meaningful music-making is in worship settings. On those rare moments when you get to sit back and listen to a piece you’ve written come to life, you want to stop and savor it.
When I think about the difference between working with a church choir rather than a professional choir, I realize that any choir volunteer is doing it for the sheer love of singing, and that is special. In the case of a church choir member, they are also lifting their voice in praise. I appreciate the humility and selflessness that come with that. I lead my choir at First Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul, MN (where I’ve been for 30 years now!), so I understand very well the sense of community that is fostered in church choirs. I love giving them a mix of known and loved pieces, and new pieces that can challenge and inspire them to new heights.
The values of humility, courage and commitment come to mind as I reflect on my life in church music—it takes a lot of all of these to rehearse and sing week after week. Most church choirs sing more in a year than any student sings over their entire high school career—that takes dedication! I do my best to take those values into other areas of my life.
My compositional voice has undeniably been influenced by my time writing for and conducting church choirs. All in all, I want the music and words to connect with singers and community in a personal way. How does it make them feel when they sing it? Is it accessible to a wide range of voices? Is it relatable?
I want to keep growing my music for worship and hope to serve many more congregations with new songs to sing, new connections to be made.
