Albany Records is proud to announce the release of
Somewhere Far Away: The Music of Julius Williams. Repertoire includes
Toccatina for Strings;
Somewhere Far Away; and
A Journey to Freedom, Honor and Glory; An American Hero John Daniels. The music is performed by Gabrielle Goodson, soprano; Armstead Christian, tenor; Roy L. Belfield, piano; Louise Toppin, soprano; Desiré Dubose, mezzo-soprano; Julius P. Williams, III, tenor; Fred Wygal, narrator; The Reston Singers; The Winston-Salem University Choir under the direction of D’Walla Simmons Burke; and the Dvorak Symphony Orchestra conducted by Julius Williams. Those familliar with Albany Records will probably know the name
Julius Williams. Mr. Williams has recorded extensively as a conductor and he is particularly well known for championing the music of African-Americancomposers and performers. While several of his compositions have appeared on previous recordings (
Midnight Tolls;
He’ll Bring it To Pass), This is the first disc in our catalog that is devoted to his music. The three works presented here were composed at different points during Mr. Williams’ long career and each provides a new and interesting glimpse into the life and musical philosophy of this remarkable man. In
Toccatina for Strings, Mr. Williams episodically travels through the many styles of string usage.
Somewhere Far Away is included as a tribute to Joe Westmoreland and
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, both of whom participated in the creation of this piece.
A Journey to Freedom, Honor and Glory; An American Hero John Daniels honors the life and death of civil rights activist Johnathan Daniels, who died at Hayneville in 1965. Julius Williams leads an active professional life as a conductor, composer, recording artist, educator, and author. He has conducted orchestras throughout the U.S. and abroad including The Vermont Symphony, The Washington Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C., The Prague Radio Symphony, The Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, The Brno State Philharmonic, The Music Festival of Costa del Sol, Spain, and others. He has also served as Assistant Conductor to Lukas Foss at The Brooklyn Philharmonic and The American Symphony Orchestra. As a composer, Mr. Williams has created works for virtually every genre of contemporary classical performance and his compositions have been premiered by the Nutmeg Ballet, the New York Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony, and the Reston Chorale and Orchestra in Virginia. His film score for Lifetime TV’s “Fighting for Our Future” won the Gracie Allen Ducumentary Award of 2003. Mr. Williams has served as the Artistic Director for a number of organizations including the Washington Symphony Orchestra and is currently the Artistic Director of WorldStage, Inc. He is also Professor of Composition and Conducting at Berklee College of Music.
SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY (TROY1072) is available online at www.albanyrecords.com, at fine record stores or from Albany Music Distributors, 915 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 • 1.518.436.8814 For More Information: Susan Bush • 1.518.436.8814 December 2008 [Julius Penson Williams (b. 1954) and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004) are profiled at
AfriClassical.com]
