March 2020 marked the 90th birthday of the legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. “The plan”, said Kol Nashim music director Leah Peer, “had been to recognize this milestone by programming some of Sondheim repertoire for the 2020-21 season”. With the pandemic canceling 2020-21 live performances, Peer opted to reschedule the pieces for 2021-22 as a “belated birthday salute”. Sadly, because of Sondheim’s passing on November 26, 2021, this has now been re-imagined as a tribute to his life and work.

In addition to Jewish choral music, Kol Nashim’s 2021-22 repertoire has included three of Sondheim songs, with each also being showcased in Text and Context (T & C), the monthly Zoom series launched by Peer in Sept. 2021. The inaugural T & C session, highlighting “Everyone Says Don’t” from Sondheim’s 1964 musical, Anyone Can Whistle, became the touchstone for future T & C programs, combining lively conversation and insights about the lyrics. Given Sondheim own meticulous craftsmanship as a lyricist, these songs serve as a wonderful opportunity for deeper exploration.

The upcoming T & C session, taking place on Updated Date: February 20, 2022 (7 p.m. MST, online via Zoom and Facebook live) is the second one in which Peer will showcase Sondheim’s talent as a wordsmith. The song being discussed that evening, “Being Alive”, is from Sondheim’s 1970 musical, Company. The Sept. 2021 T & C session (“Everyone Says Don’t”) can be viewed on the Colorado Hebrew Chorale’s Youtube channel, and the concluding T & C Sondheim session featuring “No One is Alone” from Into the Woods (1986) will be presented on Sunday, April 24, 2022. All the T & C offerings are free and open to the public.