On November 22, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while sitting next to his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy. For years to come after this infamous day, letters were written to Jackie, expressing condolences and confusion, the spectrum of grief memorialized in the written word. This project has sought to give voice to those letters, providing community for listeners sharing in that collective grief. It is a touchstone for turning inward and experiencing grief through the lens of a national tragedy.
The music of Dear Mrs. Kennedy provides a communal journey to safely explore grief and spark conversation on the importance of human connection. Rather than President Kennedy or First Lady Jackie explicitly, the central character in this music is Grief itself: the grief of a nation—and of a world.
Works:
•Augusta Read Thomas: Oh Jacqueline
•Tom Cipullo: A Litany of Sympathy
•Jen Shyu: My Name is Minerva Chapa
•Nicholas Cline: May I, may you
•Adore Alexander: Dear Mrs. Kennedy
•Skyler Butenshon: Letter to the Cornell Daily Sun, 12-2-1963
•Matthew Recio: Might Be Equa
•lTimothy C. Takach: Thanksgiving Day, 1963
•Libby Larsen: Keys and Pennies
•Erik Pearson: Trondheim, Norway - Nov. 22. 1963