Great art is more than beautiful, more than joyful, more than exciting, more than consoling. It is life-affirming. It brings forth our greatest faith in the human race […] A work of art is a celebration of humanity—not only the humanity of its creator, but of the capacity of all humans to understand, to love and to be nourished by art. This phenomenon is a kind of miracle, which we must forever treasure. – Kirke Mechem 

 

Born and raised in Kansas, composer Kirke Mechem has enjoyed an unusually long, productive, and influential musical career. Mechem celebrates his 100th birthday on August 16, 2025. 

It is in the spheres of opera and choral writing where Mechem’s influence is most deeply felt—an influence that has been honored through lifetime achievement awards from the National Opera Association and American Choral Directors Association, as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Kansas. His lyrical, direct, and emotionally engaging treatment of the human voice is deeply beloved of both audiences and singers. It has also enabled his skillful treatment of subjects both light and dark, humorous and serious: from the American abolitionist movement to delightful opera buffas, profound songs of middle America to the wit and social commentary of Jane Austen. Whether scored for chorus, solo singer, or operatic cast, Mechem’s vocal lines sing with heart and purpose. 

Mechem’s operas and concert works are widely performed to critical acclaim from major outlets, including the Los Angeles Times (“sparkling, lapidary, and accessible”), The New York Times (“a delight, a high spirited farce, full of sparkling wordplays and internal rhymes”), and the San Francisco Chronicle (“a brilliant jewel”). 

In honor of Mechem’s 100th birthday Wise Music is pleased to present a sampling of Kirke Mechem’s vocal works. 

 

Works for chorus and orchestra: 

Befana: A Christmas Fable (40’)  

Scored for SATB chorus, four vocal soloists (mezzo-soprano or soprano, tenor, baritone, and bass), and small orchestra, Befana is a touching setting of an Italian folk story. The titular character is an old woman who is too preoccupied with her housework to accept the Magis’ invitation to join them in bringing gifts to the newborn Jesus; thereafter, she must race on her broom every year on Epiphany night, searching for the baby and leaving candy and gifts for every house with small children. Mechem’s setting both takes formal inspiration from the 16th-century “madrigal comedies” of Vecchi and Banchieri and draws stylistically on a range of early music. The piece is well-suited to a wide variety of holiday programming, as it may be performed in concert, semi-staged, or fully staged.  

Blow Ye the Trumpet  (11’)  

In Blow Ye the Trumpet (for SATB chorus and orchestra), Mechem honors the courage of American abolitionist John Brown by setting the text of Brown’s favorite hymn. The tune that Brown would have associated with this hymn text is unknown, so Mechem created a contemporary setting that draws on the style of early American folk music. The work opens with a dark orchestral texture that slowly builds to the thrilling choral entrance, with a vocal setting that sounds a complex emotional portrayal of the hymn text’s prophesy of the day of jubilee and its forthright acceptance of death. The 225th anniversary of Brown’s birth makes this especially compelling programming for 2025. 

Once to Every Man and Nation (10’)   

In Once to Every Man and Nation, Mechem sets a James Russell Lowell hymn that uses the Welsh folk melody “Ton-y Botel.” Mechem’s career-long sensitivity to folk and traditional music is evident here, as he carefully balances faithfulness to the hymn/tune with the richness of his own compositional voice in an exciting version for SATB chorus, baritone soloist, and string orchestra. The lyrics make compelling listening in times of intense conflict: “Once to every man and nation/comes to the moment to decide/in the strife of truth with falsehood/for the good or evil side.” 

The King’s Contest (26’)  

The King’s Contest is based on a tale from the Old Testament’s Apocrypha in which three young men vie for the King’s favor by naming the strongest force on Earth. Called “[...] charming...hilarious...sensuous...music of pomp and splendor […]” (American Choral Review) and “[...] a lovely ray of sunlight […] music that makes you smile, that gives an audience a lift” (San Francisco Examiner), The King’s Contest has delighted audiences of all ages in venues including universities, churches, synagogues, the San Francisco Opera House, and more. It is available in two scorings, with either large chamber ensemble or symphony orchestra accompanying its SATB chorus and vocal soloists (mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, and bass). 

 

Works for soloist and orchestra: 

From the Heartland (20’) 

From the Heartland is a set of four songs for baritone soloist and orchestra. As Gregory Berg (The Singing Journal) writes of the debut recording, “The title of this recording surely refers to the geographic heartland of America […] but the title could just as well refer to the expressive openheartedness that imbues every one of these songs. This is music that vividly and unapologetically engages our emotions.” Mechem authored the texts as well as music, and their poeticism betrays his background in creative writing. The texts and their evocative settings range from gorgeous stillness in “Shadows of the Moon” (“Night falls, star silent”) to playful resilience in “Dust” (“The other day about nineteen-forty/a New England paper ran a story about the dust storm years in Kansas/and said it was doubtful at the time if the state would survive them […] It’s true that we’ve been dusty at times, friends, yes, but never entirely, so far as we know, dead”) and sweet nostalgia in “I Could Hear the Least Bird Sing” (“In my boyhood, in the spring, when the world and I were young, I could hear the least bird sing songs no bird has ever sung”). 

Operatic works: 

Tartuffe (2°10’) 

Mechem’s best-known opera Tartuffe is in three acts after the play by Molière, with both double wind and sinfonietta-sized orchestrations available. Opera Now writes that "the opera is a delight; its music [of] sheer inventiveness, its orchestration highly detailed, and genuinely free of heavy- handedness throughout. Mechem's style is melodious, lyrical, and rhythmically exact...[His] is a distinctive voice and he has a particular gift for vocal writing. Here, he deliberately tailored both form and language to mirror 18th-century opera buffa in an ironic sense, while reflecting it entirely through late 20th-century declamatory interplay [...]." With more than four hundred performances to date, Tartuffe is among the best-loved contemporary American operas and has delighted singers and audiences across the world. 

The Rivals (1°55’) 

Though not as widely known as Tartuffe, The Rivals  is another delightful comic opera that showcases Mechem’s talent for musical humor. It adapts the great Restoration comedy of the same title by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and features three pairs of oddball couples in the social milieu of early 20th-century Newport, Rhode Island. Milwaukee Magazine calls it "absolute perfection […] buoyant and hilarious as a classic screwball comedy, [with] glorious music. There’s nothing old-fashioned about it — we’re just a costume change away from something right out of Real Housewives of Newport.” With a two-hour length, an optional chorus, and a broad range of voice types in the main cast (two sopranos, two mezzos, two tenors, a baritone, a bass-baritone, and a bass), it works especially beautifully to accessibly engage emerging singers in conservatories, universities, and young artist programs. 

Pride and Prejudice (2°5’) 

Mechem’s most recent opera is based on Jane Austen’s beloved novel. Austen’s keen eye for social dynamics (including both the high stakes to find a suitable partner in Regency England and the elements of absurdity in the hunt) finds a worthy match in Mechem’s sensitivity and capacity for humor. Austen aficionado and author of “Austenacious” Liz Ball notes: “It turns out that Austen’s Pride and Prejudice practically begs to be set to music […] Most striking was the way in which the music coordinated with and then illuminated each character in his or her turn—a spot-on aural representation of the people and universe of the novel. Mrs. Bennet as high (not to say shrill) soprano? Check. Darcy as graceful yet manly baritone? Also check. Mr. Collins as hilariously imperious bass baritone? Check check check check. If you think Jane Austen is funny, you’ll think her opera’s funny, too…consider this the Austenacious stamp of approval: we loved what we saw and heard.” 

Mechem’s Pride and Prejudice is available for professional company premiere.