Newly Out
set of songs by Kendra Harder

Completed in 2024 as part of CASP’s 2023 Art Song Composer’s Mentorship Program. Mentor: Cecilia Livingston.

Presenting partners for the premiere:
Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and Saskatoon Opera.

A set of three songs with text by the composer, that give voice to an experience of being a newly out queer woman:

I. A Smile and an ‘X’
II. There’s so much more to her
III. A Swing and a Bunt

Premiered at St. John’s Cathedral in Saskatoon, SK on August 7, 2024, by contralto/mezzo Oli Guselle (they/them), and pianist Matthew Praksas (he/his).

About the songs:
Whilst in my third decade, I had the glorious revelation that I am gay! These art songs are little vignettes of my experiences in my first year of being openly out as a gay woman.

When writing these pieces, I focused on all the things that I wish were in classical voice repertoire: women singing about women, queer representation, vocal repertoire that actually uses the lower register, and naturally some comedy.

These pieces are really me writing for little me. Little closeted, contralto Kendra, who growing up was not allowed to be either – queer or low-registered.

And they are for anyone else who is sick of being shoved into boxes.

But mostly these art songs are a celebration.

A huge thank you to the folks at the Canadian Art Song Project for giving me this opportunity to create these works, and to Cecilia Livingstone for being such an encouraging and wonderful mentor throughout this project.

– K. Harder

For more information about the score, please Kendra Harder, the composer at kendraharder.com.