No Choice But Love: Songs Of The LGBTQ+ Community
Lexicon, 2022
8/10
Listen to No Choice But Love: Songs Of The LGBTQ+ Community
The tenor vocalist Eric Ferring and the inestimable pianist Madeline Slettedahl come together for a double album that highlights diverse LGBTQIA+ composers, and it includes world premiere recordings and commissioned work, too.
Ben Moore’s “Love Remained” starts the listen, and the 4 chapters unfold with expressive and radiant singing alongside the gripping, warm piano playing, as the wordplay surrounds a councilman coming out to his community, and includes excerpts from Harvey Milk’s ‘Hope Speech’.
Manuel de Falla’s “Preludios” and “Oración de la madres que tienen sus hijos en brazos” follow, and emit a stirring intimacy as the songs discuss dialogue between parents and their kids with much beauty.
Disc 1 exits on Francis Poulenc’s “Tel jour, telle nuit”, which contains 9 movements that tell the autobiographical story of Poulenc destroying a manuscript, and spans bare and introspective, as well as swift and turbulent moments alongside low rumbling.
Disc 2 opens with the bouncy keys and playful storytelling of Ethel Smyth’s “On The Road”, and further down the line we’re treated to the absorbing keys and stunning singing of Willie Alexander III’s “Sure On This Shining Light”, which is inspired by his experience as a gay African-Mexican-American.
Further yet, Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Prayer” and “Joy” displays his poetic based song craft that unfolds with a therapeutic quality and spotlights the meticulous playing from Slettedahl.
Ferring’s performance is nothing short of powerful and Slettedahl’s agile fingers on each track here results in a carefully crafted experience that resonates much insight and feeling into the deeply personal artistry.
Travels well with: Josh Modney- Near To Each; Apollo Chamber Players- MoonStrike