Dear Friends,
Just a quick note, since I've received a pleasant surprise, as well as news of a virtual performance tomorrow by my brilliant friend and colleague Katie Procell, which I encourage you all to attend.
New Review of Aspects of Landscape in American Record Guide
I was delighted to learn recently that Nathan Faro had recently reviewed Aspects of Landscape: Music inspired by the world of John Hitchens (2020) for American Record Guide's September/October issue! Highlights from the review include Faro's assessment of the chain of compositions inspired by Hitchens's From Sombre Lands ("These are inquisitive and mystical works with a keen sense of drama and bold orchestral colors."), his description of Grounds ("Its beautiful, lush ensemble textures lead to tender string solos, as if a walker in the countryside stopped to admire the ripples in a puddle or a falling leaf."), and the concluding summary: "Dayton's compositional range is impressive; his emotional, personal touch remains consistent. There is plenty to enjoy in this fantastic album. I look forward to hearing more from him."
Many thanks to Nathan Faro for this lovely review.
If you are looking for a holiday gift for someone classically inclined in your life, Aspects of Landscape: Music inspired by the world of John Hitchens might make for a nice surprise.
Upcoming Performance on 12.6.20 by Katie Procell
This post could be titled "news that I just learned!" because I only just learned that the amazing soprano, Katie Procell, with whom I will be making an album of my ever-expanding repertoire for soprano as soon as it is safe, is performing virtually tomorrow, Sunday, December 6 at 6PM EST as part of the Russian "Blue Trolley Music Festival," in which she will be performing works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gaetano Donizetti, Maurice Ravel Gilbert & Sullivan, Leonard Bernstein (I'm guessing Glitter and Be Gay, which she always performs spellbindingly), and Rebecca Sugar.
Here are the concert details:
Meeting ID: 892 2673 1045 Passcode: 544092
GA Senate Runoffs Plug
There is still time with the Georgia Senate Runoffs to donate to the organizations that are enfranchising voters in Georgia and helping to ensure a functioning legislature in 2021, something impossible at the moment with McConnell's signature style of callous obstruction. Hopefully the fact-free zone that the Republican Party has created for itself will mean that the monster of fomented ignorance will finally eat itself. Still, we need to give and fight as much as possible to get Warnock and Ossoff across the finish line.
Hope to see you tomorrow at Katie's virtual concert! Please continue to stay as safe, sane, and healthy as possible!
-Peter