Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers (Autographed CD) – Will Liverman

Composers: Damien Sneed, Henry Burleigh, Leslie Adams, Margaret Bonds, Thomas Kerr, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Robert Owens, Richard Fariña
Artists: Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Cedille
CD Release Date: December 23, 2020

Fast-rising American operatic baritone Will Liverman, tapped for major roles at principal opera houses across the country, makes his Cedille Records debut as a featured artist with Dreams of a New Day, an intimate, heartfelt recital he calls “a passion project…years in the making.” 

Praised for his “unique combination of eloquence and unpretentiousness” (Opera News), Liverman has assembled a program of songs that portray the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the African American experience through poignant texts and expressive musical settings. His new album, with pianist Paul Sánchez, highlights Black composers across generations, from early 20th-century pioneers Henry Burleigh, Margaret Bonds, and Thomas Kerr, to Robert Owens, Leslie Adams, and contemporary composers Damien Sneed and Shawn E. Okpebholo. 

Liverman commissioned Okpebholo’s “Two Black Churches,” which he recently performed to great acclaim at his Kennedy Center recital in conjunction with his winning the 2020 Marian Anderson Vocal Award. The Washington Post review called the set “absolutely devastating, and one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve heard all year.” This is its world-premiere recording. 

“One of the most versatile singing artists performing today” (Bachtrack), Liverman concludes the album with his own powerful arrangement of American folk singer-songwriter Richard Fariña’s “Birmingham Sunday.” 

Autographed by Will Liverman.

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