PRISCILLA
HERDMAN, ANNE HILLS and CINDY MANGSEN
joined forces in
1987 while working on Priscilla's Darkness Into Light recording.
The unique blend of their voices encouraged them toward additional collaboration
on festival and cocert hall stages. Enthusiastic responses from audiences
around the country culminated in the recording of their first album Voices
(1990). Though the album met with critical acclaim, their busy solo careers
made only occasional trio performances possible. In 1996 the trio decided
to create a more formal program that would allow them to tour for three
weeks out of each year. Their second release, Voices of Winter,
was recorded live during that tour and release the subsequent fall. It
instantly became a favorite seasonal recording of public radio stations
across the country.
Called a "genuine folk super-group" by The Boston Globe, separately and
together they have garnered countless accolades and awards from radio,
press and concert presenters both within and outside the folk community.
Their musical alliance has served to bring their collective vocal talents
to an even larger and more diverse audience. Priscilla, Anne and Cindy
bring intricate arrangements to newly found musical treasures with an art-song
vocal styling that crosses the boudaries of folk and classical music. Their
empathy in performance is near telepathic, and the magic of a Herdman,
Hills, Mangsen show engages people of all ages and musical backgrounds.
Priscilla, Anne and Cindy headed into the studio in August, 2000, to record
their third collaborative effort. At the Turning of the Year combines
newer favorites from past performances with newer material for their upcoming
end-of-the-year tour. Herdman, Hills, Mangsen entrances audiences from
fireside to concert hall with an evening of fresh enriching music, perfect
for a season that asks us to listen to our ancestors, to our traditions,
to our hearts and to each other.
Priscilla Herdman is known for her exceptionally lush voice and a unique gift for finding the best songs by contemporary writers inside and outside today and yesterday folk scene. She has a keen ear for choosing timeless material that touches the heart of both personal relationships and political issues. Her velvet voice, insightful interpretations and compelling stage presence continue to bring rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. (For more info about Priscilla, click HERE to check out her official web site.)
Anne Hills is a singer of superb clarity and pure tone who has made her reputation in both folk music and theater circles. She has toured, collaborated and recorded with Tom Paxton, Bob Gibson, Michael Smith and Peter Erskine and many others, as well as working in theater in Chicago, Philadelphia and beyond. Nurtured by the Chicago folk community, she has gained national recognition as a vocal chameleon and as a writer of poetic precision. (For more info about Anne, click HERE to check out her official web site.)
Cindy Mangsen's name is seen alongside the finest bards of the traditional folk ballads. Her deep love of researching and resurrecting historically valuable songs is perfectly supported by her exceedingly expressive golden-alto voice. Her renditions of these important works, her won writing, as well as material from other cutting edge writers have made her the darling of both contemporary and traditional folk music lovers. (For more info about Cindy, click HERE to check out her official web site.)