KADDISH
Music of Remembrance & Hope
World Premiere Performance recorded live with the 130-voice VocalEssence Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by
Philip Brunelle, featuring soprano Maria Jette, mezzo Krista J. Palmquist, tenor Anders Eckman and bass-baritone
James Bohn, at the Ted Mann Concert Hall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 15, 2008.
Kaddish is an hour-long oratorio for chorus, soloists and chamber orchestra, whose
libretto is fashioned from the testimony of survivors of the Holocaust. Kaddish tells their stories in their
own words, providing a window into their lives, allowing us to share their experience directly. As the youngest
of the survivors approach their eighties and nineties, this window is beginning to close. Kaddish will allow us
to hear their voices forever.
Of this premiere performance of Kaddish, the Minneapolis Star Tribune said: "... In its lyrical simplicity, the
music created an emotional connection to the story. Kaddish had a gravitas and an emotional immediacy that made
even the familiar story of the Holocaust fresh and compelling." The Minnesota Pioneer Press said: "... Joy of a
kind born in resiliency emerges like a glow of white light in the final section of Lawrence Siegel's oratorio
... the impact of the conclusion is thrilling."
To learn more visit the Kaddish Project website.
Words and Music by Lawrence Siegel
