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Fresh Dimensions
Craig Madden Morris composer
Paul John Stanbery composer
Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra
Frank T Restesan violin
The modern romanticism of composer Craig Morris is one simultaneously deeply personal and broadly meaningful. His albums DREAMS (2011) and CIRCLE OF LOVE (2015), both on the Ravello Records label, in large part deal directly with musical representations of universal emotional states and concepts.
Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, initially composed for Christine Kwak and performed here by violinist Franc Restesan and the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra, showcases Morris’ signature melodicism and directness of expression.
“I’ve always tried to create music which evokes a highly personal response that differs for every listener,” says Morris, “rather than paint by programmatic numbers.”
But Robert McCloskey: The Life For Me by Paul John Stanbery is most decidedly programmatic, and for good reason: the music was composed for the Sam Ashworth film of the same name about the famous author of “Make Way For Ducklings.”
McCloskey was a native of Hamilton OH, where Stanbery is Music Director and Conductor for the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra. Upon its release “Ducklings” became an instant classic, winning the Caldecott Medal in 1942, and the story and characters have remained in the cultural lexicon for decades since.
This recording is a suite from the score, arranged by Stanbery for concert performance. The detailed orchestration and distinctly American style fit right in with this tale of luck, pluck, and virtue.
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Artist Information
Craig Madden Morris
Craig Morris has been composing music since the age of 11. He studied composition with Shirley Bloom, Kevin Scott, and Joelle Wallach and also studied violin, piano, and voice. He played violin with the Bronx Symphony Orchestra for many years and presently plays with the Ridgewood Symphony. He has sung professionally as a cantor for over 40 years. His music has been performed by the Ridgewood Symphony, the Bronx Symphony Orchestra, the Brno Philharmonic, the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, the Fifth International Music Festival of Buenos Aires, and the Chamber Music Society of Formosa. His compositions include piano sonatas, orchestral suites, violin, cello and clarinet concerti, a concert duet for soprano and tenor, choral compositions, and a sacred service for the Sabbath. Arise My Love and The Rubaiyat were chosen as finalists in the 2010 Meistersingers Choral Competition.
Paul John Stanbery
Paul John Stanbery is currently Music Director of the Hamilton Fairfield Symphony, Ohio Mozart Festival, Great Miami Youth Symphony and has been Associate Conductor of the Lima Symphony in Ohio. Guest appearances have included the Western Piedmont Symphony, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, The University of Cincinnati, and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest with the Miami University Symphony Orchestra.
