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Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind,

flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.

— Plato

Kirke Mechem is an American com-
poser whose works have been performed
worldwide. Born in Wichita, Kansas, in
1925, Kirke’s career includes, among oth-
ers, over 250 compositions, a master’s degree
from Harvard, two and a half years in the
United States Army serving during WWII,
and a composer-in-residence at the Univer-
sity of San Fransisco. He received a lifetime
achievement award from both the National
Opera Association and ACDA’s Western Re-
gion. The following article is the composer’s
reflection on his decades of choral composi-
tion, with an introduction from his longtime
friend Eliza Rubenstein, artistic director of
the Orange County Women’s Chorus and
director of choral and vocal activities at Or-
ange Coast College, as well as the editor of
California ACDA’s publication, Cantate.

CHORAL JOURNAL February 2024 Volume 64 Number 6 43