Her Only Light: The Songs of Connie Converse (Work-in-Progress)

5th Wave is delighted to be part of this works-in-progress showcase for "Her Only Light: The Songs of Connie Converse", a project spearheaded by Chicago-based composer/performer Ronnie Kuller and vocalist Emmy Bean. 

Click here to purchase tickets. 

Kuller is arranging music by the late composer Connie Converse, who wrote brilliant folk and art songs between 1945-1961 and whose work was almost entirely uncelebrated in her lifetime. Together with vocalist Emmy Bean and instrumentalists from the 5th Wave Collective, Kuller is producing a program of Connie’s songs for performance in 2023. This first works-in-progress showcase will preview some of Kuller's new arrangements of Connie’s piano songs, which will be set for a small chamber ensemble of strings, winds, and harp.

Sara Coral, who will play an opening set, is a Chicago-based singer and banjo player. Her songs are inspired by her background in choral singing and her love of traditional American string band music, with a focus on creating connection with listeners and exploring themes of resilience and self-compassion within the folk genre. Sara plays with the bands Glass Mountain and Mulefoot, and is a regular collaborator with Chicago songwriters Jess McIntosh (Joybird) and Emily Nott. Her debut solo album, At Night, was released in 2021.

Click here to listen to some of Connie's music on Spotify.

Click here to read a feature article about Connie in the The New York Times Magazine by Hanif Abdurraqib.