There is power in the written word. The words we say often go unremembered, spilling out into our world and never reaching another’s ear. When words are important enough to write, they gain the power of history. When words are important enough to sing, they gain the power of humanity.

On November 22, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while sitting next to his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy. For years to come after this infamous day, letters were written to Jackie, expressing condolences and confusion, the spectrum of grief memorialized in the written word. This project has sought to give voice to those letters, providing community for listeners sharing in that collective grief. It is a touchstone for turning inward and experiencing grief through the lens of a national tragedy. 

The music of Dear Mrs. Kennedy provides a communal journey to safely explore grief and spark conversation on the importance of human connection. Rather than President Kennedy or First Lady Jackie explicitly, the central character in this music is Grief itself: the grief of a nation—and of a world. 

–Ryan Townsend Strand, tenor

Processional

1. Oh Jacqueline — Augusta Read Thomas [4:56]

2. A Litany of Sympathy — Tom Cipullo [5:31]

3. My Name is Minerva Chapa — Jen Shyu [6:32]

4. may I, may you — Nicholas Cline [5:19]

5. Dear Mrs. Kennedy — Adore Alexander [4:29]

6. A Tribute to Mr. J.F.K. — Will Liverman [3:55]

7. Letter to the Cornell Daily Sun, 12-2-1963 — Skyler Butenshon [2:54]

8. Might Be Equal — Matthew Recio [3:25]

9. Thanksgiving Day, 1963 — Timothy C. Takach [4:39]

10. Keys and Pennies — Libby Larsen [7:06]

11. Trondheim, Norway - Nov. 22. 1963 — Erik Pearson [8:22]

Recessional

12. Oh Jacqueline — Thomas [3:33]

Release date: November 8th, 2024
UPC: 053479228406

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