The Way Forth // Rachel Grimes

The Way Forth, a folk opera and film by composer Rachel Grimes, is an experiential, non-linear journey following generations of Kentucky women’s voices from 1775 to today. Inspired by a treasure-trove of family documents, photos, and letters, Grimes began in 2016 to research some of the more vexing questions that came to the surface about these people, places, and events, and discovered alongside a counter-narrative of the exploitation of people and resources that marks Kentucky’s history, and, ultimately, the expansion of America. Through lush orchestration, narration and rural imagery filmed with documentary filmmaker Catharine Axley, The Way Forth honors the legacy of the voiceless, and the eternal grace and redemption of time. The Way Forth premiered in February of 2019 arranged for the Louisville Orchestra with a 40-person choir. 

“...an extraordinary combination of storytelling, American history, and inspired music.” - Teddy Abrams, Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra