Credit: Chris Singer

Princeton University Concerts and University Music Society (University of Michigan) will present a Memorial Day Weekend episode of star mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato’s “Sing for Today.”

In this latest installment, set to release Friday, May 28, DiDonato frames the United States holiday honoring fallen soldiers within the more universal context of the pandemic and the loss left in its wake.

DiDonato performs the ballad “Danny Boy,” and speaks with Tony and Olivier Award-winning theatrical producer, lawyer, and activist Tom Kirdahy about grief. The pair reflects upon the death of acclaimed playwright, librettist, and screenwriter Terrence McNally, Kirdahy’s husband and frequent collaborator of DiDonato’s. McNally died of complications from COVID-19 last year.

The video is free to stream on the organizations’ websites and social media channels.

DiDonato’s “Sing for Today” series features singing and conversations with people from a broad range of backgrounds and examines how song can be a vehicle for processing, navigating, and responding to current events. The mezzo-soprano is part of University Music Society’s Digital Artist Residency Program in the 2020/21 season.