I Give Voice to My Mother, my song cycle in six movements based on poems by Athena Kildegaard from her book “Course” was performed at Source Song Festival the other week, and I was honored to see it mentioned in the Star Tribune’s review of the festival’s opening night performance. You can read the full review here.
It was quite special to have multiple singers share a song cycle:
Clara Osowski and KrisAnne Weiss, mezzo-sopranos
Maria Jette and Tracey Engelman, sopranos
with Mary Jo Gothmann, piano
Linda Kachelmeier’s “I Give Voice to My Mother” was the highlight of the evening, as four singers traded songs that the composer had created from Kildegaard’s poetry. Opening and closing with soft, simple benedictions from festival co-founder Clara Osowski — whose voice I would have loved to have heard more — the cycle was at its most touching on soprano Maria Jette’s interpretation of “A Healing” and Weiss’ chronicle of a mother’s death, “Cadence.”
Rob Hubbard, Star Tribune
Photo: Source Song Festival Founder and Singer, Clara Osowski (left) and composer Linda Kachelmeier (right)