For its 10th anniversary, Lorelei commissions three new works for women's voices by three brilliant and timely composers: James Kallembach, Shawn Kirchner, and Jonathan Woody.
Modern spirituals by Thomas, Kirchner, and Woody serve as responses to Kallembach's The Death of Antigone, which parallels ancient martyrdom with 20th century activism. An extension of Lorelei's ongoing "New Americana" initiative (funded by New Music USA in 2014), "Witness" shifts its glance outward toward modern global crises, and offers four re-imaginings of a truly American genre as a vehicle toward global empathy and action.