Dear friends!
Last spring I shared with you information about the release of Stories Out of Cherry Stems: Katie Procell Sings works by Peter Dayton, the first album presenting some of the music from the marathon recording sessions I undertook with a cast of brilliant Baltimore/DMV-based musicians in the summer of 2021. Since then, the album has attracted positive attention and critical praise! Some gems:
The Clarinet Magazine (online): "The album overall presents a diverse yet cohesive demonstration of Dayton’s skilled and thoughtful writing and brings the listener on a captivating and engaging sonic adventure."
Opera News (which named the album Critic's Choice): "Dayton continually creates fresh and interesting sounds... while Procell enthusiastically illuminates his idiosyncratic explorations with her gleaming soprano."
And this year I am proud to present the second installment of the labors of summer 2021! The second album of vocal music will be released this spring! But there are also other exciting announcements and (thanks to virtual options) ways to engage, so I'll go through them in chronological order! 2/22/23 - 33rd Birthday Concert: WE RETELL LEGENDS: Classic stories, new music for Soprano & Viola | Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 7pm EST @ An Die Musik LIVE! (409 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21201) A concert of vocal music for soprano and viola written by living and recent composers that recast works of literature and legend into song. The program will feature the world premiere of composer my immense song cycle “Temptress Helen,” a retelling of the Iliad using texts by Christian Bök that only employ the vowel “e”. Starring soprano Katie Procell and composer/violist Christopher Lowry. The concert will take place at An Die Musik LIVE! (409 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21201) on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 7pm. The program presents several of the best-known works of literature and legend and in the form of song: The Weird Sisters’s scene from Macbeth (composed by Alison Bauld) and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s beloved “How Do I Love Thee?”. The concert will also feature the world premiere of Christopher Lowry’s solo viola piece “from a social distance”, the beginning of legend-making of the historic events of our own lifetime. Seating is limited to 65 people; masking is strongly encouraged; the venue is not wheelchair accessible. The concert is also accessible through ticketed livestream.
3/10/23 VIRTUAL Album Release Event: All in the Sound: New Vocal Music by Peter Dayton | 7pm EST @ YouTube
The virtual release event for the second album from the summer 2021 recording sessions! I am so excited to share this second installment with you, featuring a brilliant cast of performers. Like last year's virtual album release, the video will feature previews of album tracks, hand-painted India ink illustrations of the musicians done during the recordings and rehearsals by Douglas Johnson, and interview excerpts about the album! I hope you will enjoy it!
From the liner notes, by Dr. Ryan Koons: "Following his 2022 release, STORIES OUT OF CHERRY STEMS, this latest collection of vocal music by Baltimore-based composer Peter Dayton reinforces his establishment as a mature and formidable talent in the world of art song. ALL IN THE SOUND captures the heart of the genre: duet between voice and accompaniment. Characteristically and integrally, Dayton’s songs exhibit internal compositional logics of pervasive rhythmic patterns and intervallic relationships that create music that still viscerally satisfies. The album takes listeners on a captivating journey through physical, emotional, and abstract imagery. Triumphantly, Dayton’s music realizes the poignancies possible in the duet that is art song."
You can set yourself a reminder on youtube (and view the video on the release date!) here!
3/11/23 In-Person Album Release Concert | 5:30pm EST @ Clifton Mansion (2701 St. Lo Dr., Baltimore, MD 21213)
Join us at Clifton Mansion for the release party for composer Peter Dayton's album "All in the Sound: New Vocal Music by Peter Dayton", starring a host of Baltimore artists performing Peter's art songs from the past 8 years. The album release event will feature limited-print physical CDs.
This concert event is supported by a generous Creativity Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council. https://www.msac.org/
In acknowledgment of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Masks are required while indoors during the concert event. Seating is limited for this event and tickets must be purchased in advance. Reserve tickets here!
I hope you'll engage with some of these exciting chances to both hear my music and hear the amazing talented musicians that have gone into bringing my ideas to life!
Best,
-Peter