Songstruck

Just listened to Episode 7, “Taking Names.” What a powerful link of reality to art song! I was struck by the comment, “Art, unfortunately, seems to be one of the only outlets for justice in this country,” which tells you how important it is to create and perform works such as this. Ben, along with composer Jasmine Barnes and soprano Karen Slack, take us on an emotional journey of how the arts can confront social injustice and elevate voices that often go unheard. Thank you to Lyric Fest for not only its vision in this project but for its creativity and dedication to performance excellence, which is evident in every layer of “Say Their Names.” The virtual song-movie of the same title can be found at lyric fest.org under about/concert archive/January 9, 2021.

Lyric Fest’s podcast series, Singstruck, is a wonderful journey through the world of song and storytelling. Great production quality and content! The host, Ben Robinson, brings a genuine passion and expertise that makes the content accessible and offers listeners a glimpse into the creative processes. Each episode feels like a mini concert paired with a conversation where you can hear firsthand stories and from some remarkable composers and performers behind the songs and the music. I highly recommend! And go to their website LyricFest.org for additional information about their live concert series.

Lyric Fest is an amazing organization dedicated to furthering a centuries-old tradition of art song, keeping it alive and fresh in the 21st century--this new podcast is a great resource for anyone interested in new music, whether you already love classical songs or are learning about them for the first time.