St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) welcomes back the legendary Judy Collins for an evening of treasured music. In a life and a career brimming with many milestone moments, she continues to create new work like her latest album, Spellbound, recalling her personal evolution as a singer and songwriter. Though Judy has been writing for half a century, her newest album ushers in an era of unbridled creativity.
Executive & Artistic Director of SCMC Cathy Holbrook states, “We are so excited to bring back the lovely Judy Collins to St. Cecilia Music Center. After her first concert here in 2019, she has remained a fan of our amazing Royce Auditorium and loves the exceptional warmth of our audience. Her concerts are up-close-and-personal. We can’t wait to see her again and to witness an amazing performance!”
Tickets for Judy Collins are $65, $50, and $35 at scmcgr.org or by calling 616-459-2224. (Single tickets have a $4.00 per ticket fee. All concerts start at 7:30pm.)
Judy Collins Bio:
In her 50-plus years in music, Judy Collins has always exhibited impeccable taste in songcraft. Her discerning palette, and her literary gifts, have enabled her to evolve into a poetic, storyteller songwriter. The cultural treasure’s 55th release, Spellbound finds Judy enjoying an artistic renaissance. The 13-song album is a special entry in her oeuvre. It marks the first time ever she wrote all the songs on one of her albums. It features 12 new recently-written modern folk songs, and a bonus track of her evergreen, “The Blizzard.” Spellbound is an introspective and impressionistic album. It unfolds as if Judy curated a museum exhibit of her life and welcomed us into a retrospective of her most formative moments, some big and public, and some intensely personal and intimate.
In Judy’s eloquently written liner notes, she dedicates Spellbound to folk masters Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. On the album, she furthers their traditions of generously sharing their lives, loves, and personal reflection. Also, in her notes, Judy relates the origins of her songwriting—a story some know, and a testament to how gloriously unpredictable art and the muse are. Story goes that in 1966 Leonard Cohen made a special trip to Judy’s apartment to play her his song, “Suzanne,” and, while there, asked her why she wasn’t writing her own songs. Her response was to sit down at her Steinway that very day and write, “Since You’ve Asked.” Judy has been writing ever since then.
A lifetime and 54 years of songwriting elegantly come forth from Spellbound. The album revisits the thrilling 1960s Greenwich Village years; recreates breathtaking moments in the wilds of Colorado during Judy’s childhood; snapshots her hellraising years; and frames quiet moments of nature from just a few years back. The title references a formative time in Judy’s life when her pure love of the outdoors lured her close to becoming a park ranger. Lyrically, the songs are impressionistic and evocatively emotional. “I strove to capture what I see with lyrics, and bring particular times to life,” she says of the album’s painterly and personal songwriting.
While she celebrates many passages in life with her lyrics, her vocals sound untouched by time. Judy’s singing on Spellbound shines pristinely as she eases from warm low-register vocals to soaring high tones, as if no time has elapsed since her singing mesmerized a generation on Wildflowers. “That’s a combination of good fortune, extreme luck, and hard work and discipline,” she reveals. “I do a lot to protect and take care of my voice, and I practice every day—you have to, or you lose it.”
Now, in her 6th decade as a singer and songwriter, Judy is experiencing a profound level of growth and prolific creativity. In a life and a career brimming with milestone moments, Spellbound is a high watermark of artistry and personal evolution. Though Judy has been writing for half a century, her new album ushers in an era of unbridled creativity. “I always knew I was going to be a late bloomer,” she says, cracking up with laughter.
Acoustic Café Folk Series Tickets
(Single tickets have a $4.00 per ticket fee. All concerts start at 7:30pm.)
The Lone Bellow
Saturday, March 8, 2025
A section $50
B section $35
C section $20
Judy Collins
Thursday, March 13, 2025
A section $65
B section $50
C section $35
The War and Treaty
Friday, March 28, 2025
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
Rhiannon Giddens
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
A section $85
B section $70
C section $55
(Additional Acoustic Café Folk Series Concerts to be announced.)
