I Am in Need of Music, by Lori Laitman

In honor of Lori Laitman, who will appear as a guest panelist on tomorrow night's episode of The Art Song Hour, we give you this November 16, 2019 recording of her song, I Am in Need of Music.

Elizabeth Bishop's poem is set here for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and piano.  The vocal lines dovetail together and apart throughout, often echoing one another or anticipating the other's text.  Laitman's writing is fluid and lyrical, beautifully reflecting the water imagery of the poem.  Just as the voices are dying away in the final measures, you hear the primary melody return one last time in the upper octave of the piano, reminiscent of a lullaby easing us to sleep.  Enjoy!

Author

Bridget Skaggs is the founding mezzo-soprano and Executive Director of Fourth Coast Ensemble.  She studied opera at Oklahoma City University's Wanda L. Bass School of Music, and moved to Chicago in 2012 to pursue a dual career in singing and yoga.  Bridget's passion for art song grows from her lifelong love of words, communication, and the human voice.