This piece is Episode 5 of Chicago Fringe Opera’s “A City of Works” project, a set of Chicago-based micro-operas. “Our Mother,” written for two mezzo-sopranos, was inspired by the lakefront along the Gold Coast. Chicago’s relationship with the lake is complex; it nurtures us, feeds us, guards us, and threatens us all at once. This piece captures that complexity by evoking a living body of water through overlapping vocal lines.

Original text.