Press Release

November 13, 2024

For Immediate Release

The first album devoted to music by Lee Kesselman, Would That Loving Were Enough is released November 15, 2024 on Blue Griffin Records (BGR675). The collection of world premiere recordings is performed by HAVEN (Soprano Lindsay Kesselman, clarinetist Kimberly Cole Luevano and pianist Midori Koga).

A prolific composer renowned for his choral works and operas, Kesselman turns his attention to the intimacy of chamber music. The stylistically diverse collection includes original works “Make me a Willow Cabin” set to words from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, “Would That Loving Were Enough” with music and poetry by Kesselman himself, a musical re-thinking of a Handel aria and “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” by George Gershwin. All of the works on the album were written for these performers. The trio HAVEN performs most of the selections; and cellist Allison Rich replaces the clarinet in the trio for "Piangerò" and "How I Hate This Room."

One of Kesselman's inspirations is Japanese music and poetry. The album opens with his arrangement of the popular Japanese folksong "Sakura," which is followed by his original composition "Ashes & Dreams." That work alternates texts of Japanese poetry forms haiku (traditionally written by men) and waka (traditionally written by women); Kesselman's musical styles emphasize the difference in the poetic content.

"It's been gratifying to compose so many of these works for my daughter Lindsay and her colleagues Kimberly and Midori in HAVEN," says Kesselman. "What a pleasure to hear my music come alive through the recording process. It's an album I am extremely proud of."

Pictured (from top): Lee Kesselman, HAVEN

Lee Kesselman, composer

Would That Loving Were Enough

Release date: November 15, 2024

Blue Griffin Records (BGR675)

TRACK LISTING

[01] Sakura (8:45)

Japanese folksong arr. Lee R. Kesselman (2018)

Ashes and Dreams

Music by Lee R. Kesselman (2016)

[02] 1. Prelude (2:48)

[03] 2. Wakaishu Ya (1:23)

[04] 3. Omoitsusu (2:16)

[05] 4. Te No Ue Ni (0:54)

[06] 5. Kagiri Naki (1:46)

[07] 6. No O Yaku To (1:56)

[08] 7. Yume Ni Dani (4:16)

[09] 8. Nishi No Sora E (2:50)

[10] Piangerò (8:45)*

Music by Lee R. Kesselman (2012)

A musical re-imagining of George Frederic Handel's aria of the same name and lyrics by Nicola Francesco Haym from the opera Giulio Cesare

[11] Make Me a Willow Cabin (9:39)

Music by Lee R. Kesselman (2014)

Lyrics by William Shakespeare from Twelfth Night

[12] How I Hate This Room (10:39)*

Music by Lee R. Kesselman (2007)

Lyrics by James Tucker after Charlotte Perkins Gilman from The Yellow Wallpaper

Would That Loving Were Enough

Music and Lyrics by Lee R. Kesselman (2021)

[13] I. I Prefer a Wine of Some Complexity (2:59)

[14] II. You Lie A-Bed (4:43)

[15] III. I Wish That Loving Were Enough (3:57)

[16] IV. That's A Wrap (2:22)

[17] I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise (2:40)

Music by George Gershwin arr. Lee R. Kesselman (2018) Lyrics by B.G. De Sylva and Ira Gershwin

*with cellist Allison Rich

Artist Biography

Composer Lee R. Kesselman is best known as a composer of vocal works, including opera, music for chorus, chamber music and solo songs. Kesselman was Director of Choral Activities at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago, from 1981 until 2022. He was Founder and Music Director of the New Classic Singers, a professional choral ensemble. He performs regularly as a conductor and as a collaborative pianist. Kesselman is also Past-President of the Illinois Choral Directors Association. His works include over 100 choral works, 2 chamber operas, more than 30 art-songs and chamber works for solo voice, in addition to chamber music and works for large ensembles and for dance. His choral compositions and arrangements stretch across all kinds of choirs, with and without accompaniment. Many of his choral works are published by Boosey & Hawkes, G. Schirmer, Carl Fischer Music, Hal Leonard Music. Other works are available through Kesselman Press or through MusicSpoke.com. Kesselman is known for his diverse musical styles, unique approach to vocal texts, and compositional craft. Many of Kesselman’s works can be found on Soundcloud.com/lee-kesselman and a complete catalog on kesselmanpress.com. For more information, contact the composer at LRKmus@sbcglobal.net.