Jeremy Galyon is an ear-opening bass/baritone who premiered my Plain Truths in 2011 at the Newburyport Summer Music Festival. This past Sunday he sang three songs from the cycle at the Songs on a Summer Afternoon series in Ocean Grove, N.J. He astonished me (again) and the rest of the large audience with his range and vocal beauty.
You can read about and listen to Plain Truths here. The songs he chose for Sunday afternoon’s concert were on an abolitionist text by William Lloyd Garrison, “Annie Lisle” by Henry S. Thompson (a parlor song which became the alma mater of some colleges—all of which I avoided listening to while composing my tune!), and “Oh, Andrew,” sentimental words from a romance story by Harriett Prescott Spofford.
In “Oh, Andrew,” Jeremy has to sing the boy’s and the girl’s part, which task he relished:
“Oh, Andrew, it was so splendid of you!”
“What was so splendid of me?”
“Standing by him so, standing by the captain when the others left—bringing home the ship!”
“Well, is this all? Ain’t you going to shake hands with me? Ain’t you glad to see me?”
“Oh, Andrew! So glad!”…
There’s more, but ain’t those splendid words? The texts and more information on Plain Truths are here. Originally for voice with string quartet, I made a piano version of the accompaniment, and on Sunday Charles Prestinari played gorgeously. Thank you, Jeremy and Charles, and to Ocean Grove for all the fine music there.