“Leeds’ rich, attention-grabbing mezzo had no trouble standing out from the texture, and her rendition of Perusio’s Dame Souvrayne was a highlight… the performance was lush and heartfelt, with Leeds’ every delivery of the word “merci” perfectly infused with emotion.” -Cleveland Classical
“What astonished me was what soloists from a reduced core Choir had achieved the previous Saturday night when they performed Bach’s Magnificat at the festival’s Opening Celebration. Overall, performances at the more intimate Christ Church by sopranos Sarah Yanovitch and MaryRuth Lown, mezzo-sopranos Elizabeth Eschen and Kim Leeds, tenors Patrick Muehleise and Gene Stenger, and baritone Steigerwalt had equaled or surpassed those I’ve heard on recordings conducted by Helmuth Rilling, John Eliot Gardiner, and Masaaki Suzuki.” -Classical Voice North America
“Five other members of the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra played obbligatos with Cantata vocalists, none more ballyhooed than concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky, who made gorgeous music together with Leeds in the mezzo’s “Erbarme dich” (Have mercy) aria.” -Classical Voice North America
“Soprano Margot Rood, mezzo-soprano Kim Leeds, and countertenor Martin Near shone with fluid warmth in honey-gold, burnished copper, and crystal tones respectively. Bass-baritones Paul Guttry and Peter Walker both brought a gentle generosity to cushion their colleagues. As much as for impeccable musicianship, all — and perhaps director Metcalfe above all — deserve applause for supreme self-awareness of when to deploy which voices most effectively, how to augment or anchor each other, who ought step back while another soars.” -Boston Musical Ingelligencer
Almost exclusively a choral piece, the All-Night Vigil resorted to solos rarely and briefly. Tenor Stephen Williams and bass Shelby Condray gave the invocation in the opening “Come, Let Us Worship,” and alto Kim Leeds was a solid prima inter pares as the celebrant in the following movement, “Bless the Lord, O My Soul.”-Boston Classical Review
“Like the trumpet section, soprano Sherezade Panthaki got all the difficult high notes as well as the ones below with a transparent vocal quality that is both powerful and articulate. Her aria about the mercy of the Lord comforting us was light, sweet and, well, comforting. Kim Leeds gave a similar (and appropriate) impression during the aria “Sleep, my Dearest, enjoy Thy rest.” Her rich, smooth mezzo soprano was one that anybody could relax into and enjoy.” -St. Louis Post
