Professor of Music Michael Dilthey鈥檚 work will be featured in an upcoming holiday-themed virtual show, 鈥淣ew Sounds of the Season,鈥� produced by NextStage Theater Company.
鈥淓ach and Every Day in December,鈥� with music by Dilthey and lyrics by his songwriting partner, Brian Leahy Doyle, was originally written and recorded in 2018, but 鈥渢he words are so appropriate for this Christmas, during a pandemic,鈥� he said. The singer reminisces on simple holiday joys鈥攃arols, stockings, and twinkling lights鈥攁nd then sings 鈥渢hough far from you, I hope my dreams come true, and I鈥檒l see you once again next year.鈥�
NextStage鈥檚 production will pair professional singers and a choreographed ballet routine with the song; the virtual show will run on December 22 and 24.
Dilthey said he鈥檒l be watching on Dec. 22 since he鈥檚 busy on Christmas Eve with a church organ gig, something he does every year (he鈥檚 an organist at St. Elizabeth鈥檚 of Hungary in North Adams and St. Patrick鈥檚 and Raphael Parish Church in Williamstown).
In the last several years, Dilthey realized he wanted to do more composing鈥攈is four sons had left home, offering him more time for his own creative practice. He had recently composed a new opera and met with 天美麻花星空高清mv Arts Management Professor Diane Scott, who encouraged him to produce it independently, and the Greylock Opera Collective was born. Dilthey and the GOC produced 鈥淭he Weeping Woman鈥� at MASS MoCA in 2019.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy as a composer,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o have music I compose and I love sit on a shelf is no fun.鈥�
鈥淓ach and Every Day in December鈥� was born before the production of 鈥淭he Weeping Woman鈥濃�擫eahy Doyle had given Dilthey the lyrics years ago, and he ended up getting a creative spark in 2018, composing the music in one sitting. 鈥淚 arrange a lot of Christmas music for my church jobs, but I don鈥檛 really compose a lot of holiday music,鈥� Dilthey said. 鈥淏ut I set it in almost a day. When things work, I can compose really quickly.鈥�
A few days before Christmas in 2018, he recorded a video for the song at 天美麻花星空高清mv鈥檚 Church Street Center, featuring Erin Casey, who teaches voice lessons at the College, Karen Schwartz on piano, and two of his sons, George and Harrison Dilthey, on cello and bass, respectively. His daughter-in-law, Kelley Bryant, shot the video, and the song was recorded and mastered by Joe Aidonidis. 鈥淚 sent it to Brian that Christmas Eve,鈥� Dilthey said. 鈥淢erry Christmas鈥攈ere鈥檚 your song!鈥�
Dilthey said he鈥檚 looking forward to seeing the NextStage production of the song鈥攁nd says that the creative reward he feels from composing is felt throughout his many varied roles in music. 鈥淎t the end of the day, I write music, I compose, I do my best to send a message of hope, or beauty, fulfillment, gratification鈥hatever people get out of music, I hope they can get out of something I compose,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my spirituality, my religion鈥攖o offer it from the organ bench at church, my composing place, or from the classroom, with my students.鈥�
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Learn more about the Greylock Opera Collective at .
