“GOOD AND TRUE” by Mary Beth Orr

Mary Beth Orr’s Good and True, a highlight from her 2025 release The Singing Horn, is a moving testament to the union of voice and horn, and to the emotional honesty that defines her artistry. At its heart, the song feels like a meditation on sincerity—on what it means to live and love with openness. Orr’s folk-inspired vocal lines are delivered with a warmth that feels both personal and timeless, and when paired with the mellow timbre of her French horn, the result is an intimate conversation between two voices: one sung, one breathed through brass. What sets Good and True apart is Orr’s ability to merge technical mastery with vulnerability. She never uses the horn as mere ornamentation—it becomes an extension of the lyrical narrative, underscoring themes of honesty and resilience.

The melody unfolds simply, yet with a sophistication that reflects Orr’s deep classical training. There is a patience in her phrasing, as though each note has been chosen with care, each pause allowed its full weight. The track also exemplifies the larger mission of The Singing Horn: to dissolve boundaries between traditions, genres, and generations. Folk sensibilities, classical craft, and a deeply personal storytelling impulse meet here seamlessly. Listening feels less like hearing a performance and more like being invited into Orr’s inner world, where music functions as a language of connection.

Good and True resonates long after it ends, not because of showy gestures but because of its quiet conviction. It embodies the values its title suggests—rootedness, authenticity, and the courage to be vulnerable. As part of an album already celebrated with international recognition, this track in particular shows why Orr is a singular voice in today’s musical landscape: she makes the personal universal, and the universal deeply personal.