Review from The American Organist, September 2026

Kevin Siegfried (b. 1969) is an American composer who teaches at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. A graduate of Antioch College, the University of Iowa, and New England Conservatory, he is also composer in residence with the Capitol Hill Chorale of Washington, D.C. Siegfried has composed numerous works for choral ensemble, and—according to his website—his compositions have been featured on 16 recordings. Lumina, consisting entirely of the composer’s works, is the most recent.

In the album notes for Lumina (which can be found at KevinSiegfried.com), Siegfried writes the following: “Lumina features the premiere recordings of three multi-movement choral works composed between 2002 and 2016. All are connected to the Christmas season, grow out of my love of medieval and Renaissance music, and are shaped by my experience as an early music singer.”

To bring these works to life, Siegfried engaged the Seattle-based Byrd Ensemble, conducted by Markdavin Obenza. According to the group’s website, this professional ensemble is “made up of 10 to 12 singers,” but for this recording they have increased their number to 16: SATB with four on each part. As one might deduce from their name, the Byrd Ensemble primarily specializes in Renaissance music.

The recording opens with three unaccompanied settings of English carols with anonymous (albeit well-trodden) texts: “There Is No Rose,” “I Sing of a Maiden,” and “Adam Lay Ybounden.” These works complement one another so well that, listening to them sequentially, I was surprised to learn they were composed separately for three different ensembles over the course of five years; performed together, they make for a satisfying short cycle of Christmas texts. (On his website, the composer lists the short pieces separately and also groups them together under the title Three English Carols.) Siegfried’s rich and pleasing counterpoint is expressively sung by the Byrd Ensemble, whose members (all hailing from the Seattle area) are clearly first-rate professional choral singers.

The centerpiece of the disc is Vidimus stellam, a five-movement work (which the composer labels a cantata) written for the intriguing forces of small unaccompanied choir and brass quintet. Vidimus stellam was commissioned by Robert Russell and ChoralArt of Portland, Maine (along with several additional choirs), who desired a cantata for choir in the lineage of Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata (1957). Siegfried notes that Pinkham was “one of [his] teachers and a principal mentor” during his doctoral studies at the New England Conservatory.

The parallels between Pinkham’s cantata and Siegfried’s, both orchestrally and stylistically, can easily be detected, although unlike the former composer’s work, there is no organ complementing the brass. (A separate organ arrangement that can be used in substitution of the brass parts, however, is available via the composer’s website.) To my delight (and mild surprise), the balance achieved when the groups perform simultaneously (there are a cappella sections throughout the work) is exquisite. Throughout Vidimus stellam, texture deftly shifts between unaccompanied choir, purely instrumental interludes, and combined forces. Solo instruments and unison melodies mingle with one another throughout the work.

The final selection on the CD—the three-movement Annunciation—was commissioned by St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Rockport, Mass., in celebration of the parish’s 125th anniversary. As one can deduce from its title, the text (adapted from Jeannette Lindholm’s poem “Triptych”) recounts the story of the biblical Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel reveals to Mary that she will conceive and bear the Christ Child (Luke 1:26–38). The centerpiece is the second movement (“Ave Maria”): the moment of the Annunciation itself. The first (“She Met the Day”) depicts events immediately preceding that moment, and the third offers a reflection on what has transpired. Written for unaccompanied choir, Siegfried’s clean, unadorned setting allows for clarity of text, delivered with sublime serenity by the outstanding Byrd Ensemble. The two-minute conclusion to Annunciation is stunningly beautiful and a perfect ending to this wonderful album.

While it is always a privilege to review choral CDs for TAO, listening to this one was pure joy. I can offer nothing but superlatives for this stellar recording of music by one of our profession’s most gifted choral composers.

- Matthew Hoch, The American Organist magazine (TAO), September 2026

Review from the Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, March - April 2026

Born in 1969, Kevin Siegfried is an accomplished American composer with a doctorate in composition from the New England Conservatory of Music. The European American Musical Alliance supported his additional study in Paris, and he was awarded a Stanley Fellowship for further study in India. He now serves on the faculty of The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, teaching songwriting, music theory, and piano in the school’s Theater Division. For a time, he was best known for his collection of Shaker Songs; the most performed of these is “Lay Me Low,” which was sung by The Joint Armed Forces Chorus at the State Funeral of President George H. W. Bush in 2018. When I told members of my church choir that I was privileged to speak with Kevin Siegfried on the phone, one fellow said, “The Lay Me Low Guy!” I am at fault for this, as I had not yet explored Dr. Siegfried’s very impressive choral catalogue, and he definitely has a style that goes far beyond his research and settings of Shaker tunes. Lumina showcases the composer’s gift for creating lush harmonies, deftly setting chant, and illumining texts – either unknown or well known – with a unique perspective.

Three English Carols open this fine recording. “There is No Rose” was written in 2002 during Dr. Siegfried’s time studying in Paris. Each stanza is voiced differently and moves purposefully toward the Latin statements of Alleluia, Res Miranda, Pares forma, Gaudeamus, and Transeamus. The piece floats between perfect unisons to richly textured divisi, and by the time we reach “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” the joy is palpable. I was moved by the somber tone at the end on the word “Transeamus,” which honors the depth of the entire text: may we be transformed. “Adam Lay Ybounden” was written two years later, and it is the new-to-me setting of the text I’ve been seeking. There’s use of ostinato, particularly in the first two stanzas, and scale passages in the other voices keep the motion going forward throughout, even at a modest tempo. “Ne had the apple taken been” is pivotal, building in intensity and range. The message has never been clearer than in Dr. Siegfried’s musical telling of it; without original sin, the rest of the miraculous story of redemption would not have fallen into place! Conductors with capable soprano sections are urged to consider this piece. It became the third of this set after a commission by the Capitol Hill Chorale in 2007 produced “I Sing of a Maiden.” A lovely soprano soloist takes the lead over close harmonies. Each time the words “so still” appear, they are repeated to great effect, causing the listener to lean in to hear what’s next. The anthem closes with the now familiar chords of “so still,” and the soprano soloist returns to bring the work full circle.

The Byrd Ensemble was founded by Markdavin Obenza in 2004 and has numerous recordings to its credit. The group is just about flawless, and its sound is further enhanced by the acoustic at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Seattle, where this recording was made in 2025. “The church is in an area of Seattle that is somewhat detached from the busy downtown, so that makes it a nice place to record,” Dr. Siegfried explained. When I expressed surprise that a recording engineer wasn’t credited on the disc, he said, “Mark does that, too – he’s a multi-talented guy!” Hearing the group live is a must, and their touring schedule can be found at https://www.byrdensemble.com.

Multiple choirs participated in the commissioning of Vidimus Stellam, requesting a cantata for choir and brass quintet, loosely following the model of Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata. Since Dr. Siegfried studied with Pinkham and considered him a mentor, he was naturally eager and honored to accept the challenge. “He used to talk famously about the Christmas Cantata being the piece that allowed him to pay off his mortgage.” Texts expressing the theme of light out of darkness were selected to carry the Vidimus Stellam cycle through Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. I smiled while reading his liner notes, which explain how New Englanders suffer from light deprivation during the winters: “Catching the available light becomes a daily preoccupation.” O Oriens is set for eight voices and features soli tenor and French horn. I wondered if Arvo Pärt’s Seven Magnificat Antiphons may have also inspired this work, and I asked Dr. Siegfried about it in our interview. “He is absolutely an influence, and is probably the composer I most respect. I don’t necessarily try to emulate his writing, but I so admire his overall career and the way his music just opens up such a powerful space. If I were ascribing adjectives to my music (and this is not something I like to do), I would include ‘minimalist.’” I aspire to write music that is distilled … made out of a small number of elements.” Rorate Caeli shows off a pair of trumpets with the choir, although each movement of the cantata can be accompanied by organ alone. A lot of work goes into a sparse choral sound with such presence.

Hodie Christus natus est features trombones at the beginning, followed by the full brass ensemble accompanying the quick and articulate presentation of the text. This is a fun setting, requiring vocal agility plus a little cheeky approach, as the 3/4 meter lilts in a big “one” – definitely a crowd pleaser. Chant style opens and closes Surge illuminare, bookending the core, which employs an engaging mixed meter and reflects joy in a minor mode. I thought this was the most accessible of the movements, and Dr. Siegfried agreed. Each title is published separately and could be very useful for church musicians. Finally, Vidimus Stellam reveals the light of the star, and beautiful contrapuntal writing in a chant style is used for “Venit lumen tuum” – “your light has come.” I loved the ending – exquisite and not overdone, but I felt as if I’d been on a journey.

How nice to have the scrollable score to follow at Dr. Siegfried’s website, and the same was true for the work that completes the recording. Annunciation was a commission that adapted a poem by Jeannette Lindholm titled “Triptych.” “My only modification to Jeannette’s work was to add the Ave Maria into the second movement. Her poetry feels very real,” Siegfried shared. This work provides an interesting look at the Virgin Mary’s experience in three distinct sections. 1. “She Met the Day” – the reader/listener can truly relate to Mary here, as she begins what she expected to be a normal day, ending with “…Then Gabriel outside the door.” This a cappella gem may be my favorite on the recording; I was literally left in a state of awe. In 2. “Ave Maria,” the basses and altos are the stars with their melodic chanting against the backdrop provided by SST. A macaronic text brings in Dr. Lindhom’s charming English addition to the familiar Ave Maria: “How can this be, this quiet, gentle grace that visits us within a word, a welcome, or embrace …” It was no surprise to learn that Dr. Lindholm has a degree from the Boston School of Theology and has studied hymn writing with Carl P. Daw. Julian of Norwich inspires the text of the closing movement. 3. “All Shall Be Well” is about two minutes in length, and is just perfection – the poem, the composition, and the performance. AAM colleagues, I encourage you to get this recording, and I suspect you will be as moved and impressed as I was.

All shall be well,
And all shall be well.
Within this grace
The promise and
The blessing dwell –
Emmanuel.
Emmanuel,
Emmanuel.

- Marjorie Johnston, The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, Vol. 35, No. 2, March-April 2026