WKU soprano’s performance was “More than Words”

Will Kotheimer

Amanda Ledford’s vocal and facial expressions breathed life into characters she depicted in her songs during the soprano’s junior recital entitled “More than Words” Friday night.

Ledford, from Lafayette, Ga., was recognized last fall as female vocal performer of the semester, according to her instructor, Jennifer Brennan-Hondorp.

On Friday, she sang pieces by four composers, which were all in different languages: Vincenzo Bellini, in Italian; Reynaldo Hahn, in French; Wolfgang Mozart, in German; and Ned Rorem, in English.

Jenna Moore, a senior from Rogers, Ark., said she enjoyed the performance.

“I feel like this performance showed Amanda’s passion for life,” Moore said. “Her music made me reflect on the beauty of life in everyday things.”

Shelbyville junior Katy Cardwell said she thought Ledford “really got into the characters” and “had a really great voice.”

The characters Cardwell referred to were the personas the singer brought to life through song, vocal expression and body language.

Ledford said she had to “look in the mirror” to perfect some of them.

She said the songs are all part of a genre called “art songs.”

“My voice teacher and I selected the songs,” Ledford said. “We both love art songs. It helps to build a solid foundation of repertoire, and you can learn a lot about expression from the poetry.”

Ledford originally attended Florida College, but transferred to Western to complete her degree.

WKU alumnus Alex Day has known Amanda for six years, but never knew she could sing so well.

“I thought Amanda had a great voice,” Day said. “I didn’t know she had an amazing voice.”