TAKE IN MARY BETH ORR’S ALBUM “THE SINGING HORN”, A POIGNANT MUSINGS ON PARENTING, LOVE, AND GRIEF

18 July 2025 • No Comments •Music

Greetings dearest gentle readers and music enthusiasts everywhere. Let us welcome US artist MARY BETH ORR. “The Singing Horn” is a 25-album song by Mary Beth Orr, released on 7th March. Let’s talk more about it.

The album opens with “Appalachia”, a classical wonder that listeners will drool over.

Next is “songs of the wayfarer”. Another horned musical that listeners will marvel at. The album gives us four versions of this song and each one, exceeded expectations brilliantly

The next song is titled “Wondrous Love”. This song is another fantastic song that really surprised me. I wish I were at one of her concerts, seeing her play in person

“Outdoor song” and “coast of Kerry” follow-up. These songs showcase originality and artistic merit, and I will describe them as a “wonderfully unique and blissfully executed work of art”. Every part of the song was pure bliss to my ears and listeners will love it too

Next are the songs “I Remember” and “Waiting for the Beast to Die”. I can only describe these songs as songs that had the ability to tap into emotions and tell stories, creating an engaging listening experience. “I remember” is a trip to the past for the character in the song and it was so emotive and special

Up next are the songs “Dream of Epiphany”, “Fox Den”, and “Baroque Solo for Horn”. These three songs have the power to connect with listeners from various backgrounds and evoke feelings of freedom and self-acceptance. It connected deeply with me and it will do the same for audiences

Next are “season of the ice”, “Sophia’s melody”, and “au debout”. The first song talks about winter and the feelings that come with the cold season. “Sophia’s melody” and “au debotte”, both show off her excellent skills with the horn. I could ask for more perfect songs than these three!

Up next are “Oh Lay Me Down”, “Mode 2”, and, “Maltija.” These three songs were so emotive that they gave me goosebumps. The first song talks about grief, the second and third songs were horn solos that were absolutely stunning. I had a tear in my eye during these

“In a dunhuang neighborhood”, “declamation”, “Spanish Mary- espana”, and “when the mountains cry”. These songs The compositions use the synergy of the horn to tell stories. Music that speaks to you without words is something powerful and that is what these songs are

The last three songs are “When the Mountains Cry”, “Good and True_”, and, “I’ll Fly Away_”. The first song features bass, violin, and vocal performance about a place where the mountains carry secrets and cry. The violin solo in this song was fantastic!!. The second song opens with magical vocal percussion and talks about a person who needs to embrace the glow within her and the last song also opens with mouth percussion and a perfect vocal performance. It talks about death, grief, and the belief that we go to a better place after we die, which is very reassuring. With this last song, the album ends

On this album, Mary Beth Orr, crosses the gap between folk and classical, raw and refined, life and grief. The album’s opening five tracks flow like a song cycle, combining folk and classical influences until culminating in the melancholy beauty of “Oh Death.” Later, we hear Good and True, which is inspired by the Dagara Tribe’s birth song, as related by Sobonfu Somé.

The compositions use the synergy of horn and voice to tell stories. THE SINGING HORN, with its poignant musings on parenting, love, and grief, is an artistic monument to the bittersweet depth of human experience. I fell in love with this album. You may think that my explanation of the songs is only based on feelings but, what does good music do??, It evokes deep feelings. I implore you to listen to this album and it forever changed me, like I have changed myself.

Stream “The Singing Horn” album on Spotify and SoundCloud