Haven: Songs of Mystery and of Memory
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A new song cycle from noted composer/organist Pamela Decker.

Composer Pamela Decker writes that "Haven: Songs of Mystery and of Memory for mezzo-soprano and piano, is a cycle of 16 songs for which all music and texts are original compositions. The cycle draws inspiration and influences from a variety of styles: Impressionism, Argentine tango; flamenco modes, South American rhythms, classical art song, jazz, pop, cabaret, and blues." Pamela Decker is Professor of Organ/Music Theory at the University of Arizona in Tucson. As both organ recitalist and composer, Decker has been active in the United States, Europe, the Baltic Region, and Canada. She has been a featured recitalist at many conventions and festivals and her compositions have been performed in 19 countries. Her discography includes recordings on the Albany Records, Loft, Gothic, ReZound, Arkay, and Arktos labels. She holds a D.M.A. degree from Stanford and studied both organ and composition as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany.
Contents:
Pamela Decker, composer
Haven
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
I don't know how to do this
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
There would always be a song
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Dawn does not bring reason to sing
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Fire
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
I thought I was domesticated
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Kaleidoscope
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
These eyes that see
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Mystery
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Returning
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Invisible
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Milagro
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Sing the dark away
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
There is no lovelier thing
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
The muse in music
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Pamela Decker, composer
Can you just believe?
Katherine Byrnes, mezzo-soprano; Pamela Decker, piano

Review:
"The songs of Pamela Decker are thoroughly tonal and enjoyable, being direct and immediate in their appeal…One of the loveliest of the songs is "Dawn does not bring reason to sing," a song that has an achingly beautiful and memorable melody, at the same time sad and hopeful…Singer Katherine Byrnes is known in the Tucson, Arizona area as a jazz and blues vocalist, but I hear more of a Broadway quality in her singing…For each of these songs, she adapts her voice to its varying style, thereby doing an admirable job in bringing each across…Her intonation is likewise impeccable, as is her phrasing and her singing falls most graciously on the ear…While Pamela Decker is widely recognized as a master on the organ, her skills as a pianist are also most evident on this CD, where she brings just the right touch to the intriguing piano parts that undergird the melodies of the vocal line. (Fanfare)

"…Her [Decker's] musical language is very tonal, and she is not afraid of using melody to underline ideas in her texts. Some of these songs are actually -- gasp! -- hummable, the repeated melodies haunting one long after hearing them…Katherine Byrnes offers beautiful singing, infused with some jazz stylings that suit the texts well…The composer herself is at the piano and this is a solid partnership… (American Record Guide)