“Singer Aoife O’Donovan will premiere her song cycle ‘American, Come,’ honoring women’s suffrage at an Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra concert titled ‘An American Celebration’ on May 8 in the city’s Festival Park,” writes Matthew Palm in Sunday’s (5/2) Orlando Sentinel (FL). “The 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was ratified in August 1920 … O’Donovan’s 20-minute cycle of five songs, arranged by Tanner Porter, is inspired by historical writings and speeches, from suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt to President Woodrow Wilson. She drew the lyrics from their words…. Other works on the Philharmonic’s program include … Copland’s ‘Appalachian Spring,’ selections from Leonard Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story’ and John Philip Sousa’s ‘Stars and Stripes Forever.’ O’Donovan [is] a frequent performer with orchestras around the country and tours as a solo singer-songwriter…. She splits her time between New York and Orlando with her husband, Philharmonic music director Eric Jacobsen, and their young daughter…. One of the songs in the cycle is titled ‘Daughters’ and talks about not leaving the fight for equality to ‘the daughters of our daughters.’ ‘I feel very impassioned by this. I’m a mother,’ she says. ‘It has lit a fire for sure.’ ”
Change font size
