The Stranger Among You: Songs of Exile and Home by Jodi French World Premiere

The Stranger Among You: Songs of Exile and Home by Jodi French is part of the James M. Collier Festival of New Music and premiered on May 9 & 10, 2026 in Ashland, Oregon. Written in May 2026 French's music explores themes of exile and home and blends texts from around the world. Featuring renowned baritone soloist Christopheren Nomura, with the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers and orchestra (with soloists indicated below). Commissioned by Southern Oregon Repertory Singers 2026. The Stranger Among You: Songs of Exile and Home by Jodi French (b. 1967) 1. I've Known Rivers - text: Langston Hughes featuring Vicki Gunn, nyckelharpa and Sherril Wood, flute 2. The Road to Drumleman featuring Shelly Cox-Thornhill, mezzo-soprano and Abigail Wilensky, violin 3. Dark Waters (instrumental) featuring Sherril Wood, flute 4. Mother of Exiles - text: Emma Lazarus featuring Jennifer Matsuura, soprano and Christòpheren Nomura, baritone 5. The Stranger Among You - texts: trad. Scottish blessing & The Old Testament featuring Christòpheren Nomura, baritone 6. Legend of Leaving - text: Lawson Inada, Retired Emperor Sutoku (r. 1124-1141) featuring Christòpheren Nomura, baritone 7. I've Known Rivers (reprise) featuring Sherril Wood and Jodi French, flute and Vicki Gunn, nyckelharpa & Michal Palzewicz, cello 8. The Same Stream of Life text: Rabindranath Tagore featuring Vicki Gunn, nyckelharpa & Michal Palzewicz, cello About Composer Jodi French Jodi French plays a number of instruments with a special passion for the piano. She began her piano studies at age three with her parents. Her father was a gifted jazz pianist and encouraged her to play by ear, while her mother taught her to read music. She was a working musician by age ten, playing for churches, weddings, and local theater, writing arrangements for dance bands, and accompanying advanced solo competitions. She has coached with international prize-winning soloists and studied at Southern Oregon University with distinguished Russian pianist Alexander Tutunov. She specializes in collaborative piano and has performed with some of the best singers and instrumentalists in the country. Jodi also enjoys giving the occasional solo recital and has been a featured soloist with the Rogue Valley Symphony. Her interests in recent years have expanded to include composition. Jodi has had several sacred works published, frequently offers small liturgical pieces in her organist position at Trinity Episcopal Church, and writes a large-scale choral-orchestral work every year as Composer-In-Residence for Southern Oregon Repertory Singers. Favorite quote: “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there lay within me an invincible summer.” —Albert Camus