I Love You More
On May 16, 2025, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay delivered one of the most emotionally profound and tender moments of their concert “Tyler’s Suite / I Love the 90’s” with a heartfelt performance of “I Love You More”, composed by the celebrated singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway. The performance took place in the warm and welcoming sanctuary of Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, a venue known for its progressive values and embrace of LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Part of the deeply moving Tyler’s Suite, “I Love You More” is inspired by the voice of Tyler Clementi’s mother, Jane Clementi, offering a musical expression of a mother’s enduring love, grief, and reflection in the wake of unimaginable loss. The piece is both a lullaby and a lament—quiet in its strength, tender in its sorrow, and unflinchingly honest in its portrayal of love that persists beyond death. Ann Hampton Callaway, known for her jazz-infused style and emotionally direct songwriting, imbues the piece with a simplicity that cuts to the heart, allowing the listener to sit with the complexity of maternal love and the ache of regret.
Ruthie Nelson, stepping into the solo role, offered a deeply moving performance that channeled the voice of a mother remembering, mourning, and loving unconditionally. Her delivery was raw and restrained in all the right ways—never overstated, yet charged with emotional intensity. Every phrase was infused with the quiet desperation of a parent wishing they could turn back time, or simply have one more moment to say what was left unsaid.
KaleyAnna Raabe on violin added a haunting and lyrical undercurrent, her instrument almost serving as a second voice—wordless, but resonant with pain, memory, and love. The violin lines floated above and around the vocal melody like memories returning in waves. At the piano, Kevin Wu provided a steady, sensitive foundation that allowed the vocal and instrumental lines to unfold with grace and clarity. His playing, nuanced and emotionally intelligent, helped to shape the arc of the song, bringing both structure and space to breathe.
Performed as the emotional centerpiece of Tyler’s Suite, this song was not simply a tribute—it was a moment of shared humanity between performer and audience. In a space like Allendale United Methodist Church, which has long stood as a beacon of justice and affirmation for the LGBTQ+ community, “I Love You More” became more than a song; it became a space for collective mourning, compassion, and healing.
Within the broader framework of the evening—which paired the emotional gravity of Tyler’s Suite with the nostalgic joy of 1990s pop culture—this performance offered a poignant reminder: that behind every tragic story is a family still aching, still remembering, still loving. And through music, their voices are heard.